Mulching has a lot of benefits like reducing weeds, adding organic matter to the soil, and helping the plants retain moisture. In addition, a fresh coat of mulch is an instant facelift to your landscape each year. Since Spring is the most popular time to mulch your beds we want to go over the dos and don’ts when it comes to applying mulch because it can harm your landscape if done incorrectly. 

Don’t mulch before cleanup:

Be sure to prune, weed and remove leaves first so you don’t make a mess on top of your fresh layer of mulch.

Do mulch as the last step.

Don’t forget about edging:

There are many types of edging that help prevent mulch from spilling out of the bed and into the turf. For example, you could use steel or stone, but the most common is a hand spade edge cut yearly before mulching.

Do edge before you begin mulching.

Don’t put weed mat under mulch:

Weed mat is ineffective with wood mulch because it breaks down and creates a layer of organic matter on top. Therefore, you have soil, weed mat, then broken down mulch for weeds to germinate in.

Do put weed mat under gravel or rubber mulches that won’t break down.

Don’t make a volcano of mulch up onto your tree trunk:

This can cause the trunk of your tree to rot, eventually weakening or killing your tree.

Do a mulch doughnut. Create a flat uniform ring around the trunk with a ‘hole’ in the middle so mulch doesn’t work it’s way up the trunk. This will make for a healthier tree.

Don’t rake mulch up onto your siding:

This can cause your siding to rot. This also gives water a chance to get inside your home.

Do rake the mulch below siding or weep lines.

Don’t put mulch directly over your plants:

This can again cause rot, or even smother some plants.

Do put the mulch around your plants or sprinkle it very lightly over.

Don’t put mulch on too thick:

This can smother some plants as too much mulch builds up over the years. It’s also a waste of money.

Do put mulch 1 to 2 inches thick.

Don’t choose mulch with contaminants:

Many mulches include tree trimmings and pallets resulting in metals, pesticides and other contaminants in the mulch.

Do choose 100% white oak or cedar mulch. These mulches are also fade-resistant.

• Mulch can be purchased at Superior Garden Center in bags or by the cubic yard. If you need to purchase your mulch in bulk it can also be delivered straight to your driveway.
  • Don’t know how much you need? Check out our Table of Coverage.

Now that you are equipped with this knowledge, you can dive into your Spring mulching with confidence that it will be done correctly to provide the key benefits to your landscape.

And don’t forget, if you’d prefer to not spend your weekend remulching, the Maintenance Division at Rost, Inc. is happy to handle your Spring clean up and remulch for you!