So Mulch To Do: Mulching Musts and Tips

07/08/2024 | Scarlett's Garden |

In college, I had the pleasure of working at a major mulch supply company. What I thought at the time as simply a summer job was the opportunity to learn about a material that would constantly be added to Scarlett’s garden grounds. Here are some insider tips that I am very grateful to have learned ever since:

  • It’s ideal to mulch twice a year. I mulch only once a year and that works fine in Scarlett’s garden.
  • If you mulch once a year, mulch in the Spring. I always mulch in the month of May.
  • Mulching should be adding 3 inches of new mulch as a top layer to your garden beds or where you want to keep out weeds around plants and trees.
  • Don’t go thicker than 3 inches as this can invite a place for pests to claim as their own.
  • Unless there are any issues with your old mulch, you normally don’t need to remove the old mulch when adding the new 3 inches.
  • Avoid mulch that is composed of larger pieces of wood chips. These larger pieces will take longer to decompose and therefore, longer for your plants and flower beds to get the nutrients that they need this season.
  • Prioritize installing natural and organic mulch over dyed varieties when you can.
  • If you are going with dyed mulch, I found that brown dyed mulch is the most popular choice (it always got the most orders every year), followed by black dyed mulch and then red dyed mulch.
  • When you mulch, apply evenly and do not bunch the mulch up around the roots. The roots need room to breathe, and this clumping can actually damage your plants. The mulched bed should appear flat throughout with edging along the perimeter of the bed.
  • Have professionals install your mulch of choice and thank me later. If you are going to pay professionals to do anything in your garden, let mulching be it!
  • Once installed, always keep your mulch tidy in the beds as your plants grow during the season, you add new plants, throughout the watering months and after summer storms. Keep an eye on your mulch to make sure nothing grows there that shouldn’t be (like weeds or fungus from too much rain fall).
  • Mulching is one of the best ways to keep your plants healthy and coming back stronger every year, so keep mulch on the top of your gardening list.