What I Know About Mulching
It’s time for mulching! This was a term I hadn’t really heard of before owning my own garden, and it turns out it’s not that complex. Mulching is simply covering the surface soil in a garden with a layer of material to provide a number of benefits to the soil, plants and garden aesthetics.
Autumn is a perfect time to do it – plants are dying back right about now, showing you the space underneath that requires a little attention.
There isn’t anything difficult about doing it either. Simply thoroughly weed the area first (getting out the weed roots as much as possible), then evenly distribute mulch across the area to about 2-3inches deep.
I use landscaping bark, we initially did it for the purely cosmetic reasons of the clean look it gives the flower beds, but there are so many more reasons why you should mulch your borders with biodegradable matter like compost, wood chippings, leaf mould and seaweed.
Here is what barking your borders can do for your garden:
Suppress weeds making it easier to maintain your garden (this is my main reason!), it means you are weeding less often which will please any gardener
Retain rain water and soil moisture which is great especially if you have a garden that gets direct sunlight for a large proportion of the day
Deter slugs and other garden pests – my hosta’s are proof of this as they are in the ground but don’t get attacked by too many slugs compared to my Dad’s hosta’s that are in pots on his patio
Improve the nutrients in the soil, which is a great way to care for established plants and bushes, and can even help trees and plants grow faster
Insulate the soil and roots of your plants, protecting them from frosts in winter and also dry conditions in summer
Good quality biodegradable mulch, like bark, will compost slowly so it doesn’t need topping up or reapplying too often. In fact this year is the first time we’ve done it since we originally laid bark, and this is the 2nd summer since.
It’s honestly such a quick and easy job to do, you get a great look, and it’s a way to enrich your soil for all your plants - it’s a no brainer.
Plan your mulching now and do it in mid to late spring, and autumn as needed.
