How to mulch like a pro!

How To Use Mulch

Do not. Ever. Use this much mulch.

Many people don’t understand how mulch can impact the health of your garden. Mulch is important to the health of your plants as it helps to retain the moisture in the soil and cut down on the amount of weeds you have around your plants.

How Much Mulch Should You Use?

To determine how much mulch you need take the length and width of your garden and then multiply this by the height of the mulch which is going to be about 3 inches. This will give you the total cubic feet that you need for your mulch. Since mulch is sold by the bag you need to divide the total cubic feet by the number of the cubic feet of mulch ion the bag.

• If the mulch is sold by the yard you’ll divide the total cubic feet by 27 since there are 27 cubic feet to one cubic yard.

There are online calculators you can use to help you figure out the amount you need and even calculators for your mobile devices. Use these if you can’t figure out the exact amount to sue or ask at your local garden center.

Spreading Your Mulch

Try to spread around three inches of mulch on the ground. As you do this a few times the mulch will build up so if you already have a lot of it on the ground use about 1 inch of new mulch. You can also remove the old mulch if you want and start again with fresh. If there’s too much mulch on the ground this can trap too much moisture and rot can set in as not enough water will reach the roots of the plants. Don’t pile the mulch near trunks of trees or shrubs as this can cause insect, fungus and rot problems. You should spread the mulch by hand as you can control how it looks. A shovel can help you move mulch from a wheelbarrow to the garden area.

Benefits of Mulch

• Mulch inhibits the growth of weed
• Helps keep moisture in the soil so plants don’t dry out as quickly
• Helps prevent fluctuations in the soil temperature
• Protects roots from the cold in areas where frost cаn be a problem
• Keeps roots cool in hotter areas
• Can provide some nutrition to plants as mulch breaks down

Mulch Dangers

• Rubber or tire mulch can damage the soil by leeching chemicals into it
• Cocoa mulch can be dangerous to pets, especially dogs
• Too much mulch can damage trees and plants. Rot can set in as well as diseases
• Mulch can present a fire danger if it dries out too much in hot sun

What Mulch Not To Use

• Wood – Some wood mulch can contain chemicals and dyes
• Rubber or Tire Mulch – This mulch can contaminate the soil with chemicals
• Decaying Leaves – Perfect breeding ground for weeds and seeds can germinate creating more weeds

Ask Your Local Garden Center

Your local garden enter can provide more information on mulch. This is a great way to take care of your plants.