Working for a Greener District of Columbia

Mulch and Mulching

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Gardeners agree that mulching bare ground and around plants is THE single most important thing they can do to create low-maintenance, healthy gardens. (Gardening guru Paul James calls it "the greatest labor-saving gardening product ever invented.")  It's right up there with choosing the right plants and watering adequately.   Yep, I'd say those are the big three.

WHY?

Oh, where to start?  What's not to like about something that does all this?

• Suppress weeds
  

• Prevent drying out of soil
  

• Prevent erosion
  

• Reduce compaction of soil
  

• Moderate soil temperature
  

• Prevent mud splatter on plant and hard surfaces, like your house
  

• Add nutrients to soil, plus enable the soil to better use soil nutrients from any 
  

      source

• Increase the populations of earthworm and beneficial soil microbes.
  

• Make gardens look well kept and amenable to planting - like gardens.
  

WHEN

• Every year, when soil has warmed, which is midspring in most of North
  

     America, earlier in hotter places.  Gardeners in colder climates often do their

     mulching in the fall, however, to prevent soil heaving through the winter months

     of freezing and thawing. More mulch can be added in the spring, as needed.

• AND immediately after disturbing the soil, especially for planting something.
  

• AND to cover bare ground at any time.
  

HOW MUCH

• If it's on top of a layer of compost, add 2 inches. More can be added as that
  

      breaks down over the season.

• If it's not on top of compost, use 2-3 inches, maximum.
  

• Too much mulch will keep moisture out, keep the soil from warming up in
  

      spring, and harbor pests, especially slugs.

• Sunny spots need more mulch than shady ones.
  

HOW

• Remove weeds
  

• Loosen top of soil (a tool called the cultivator does this job very quickly),
  

      incorporating what's left of the old mulch into the soil as you do it.

• Water well.
  

• Never mulch on top of plants or have mulch touching their stems and most
  

      important of all, don't pile it up against tree trunks.  (They're called  mulch

      volcanoes and though common, they're horrible for tree health!)

• And avoid putting mulch against your house, unless you're trying to attract
  

      termites.

Continue reading Mulch and Mulching:

Page 2: Types of Mulch

Page 3: How much you need, and Sources

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