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Mulching Tips and Tricks

Mulching Tips and Tricks | Professional Landscaping Company in Dallas, TX | Southern Botanical

Why is it important to mulch, and when is it the best time to do so?

Southern Botanical, your professional landscaping services company in Dallas, TX, is here to answer your questions.

The benefits of mulching

Mulching can provide much-needed nutrients for plants, form a barrier against weeds, lock in moisture, and help insulate the roots of plants against the cold. A lot of materials can be used to cover the surface of the soil, including leaf mould, bark chippings, crushed shells, or rotted farmyard manure.

Many gardeners would mulch in early fall or winter to protect the plants from the alternating of thawing and freezing temperatures. Bulbs or plants who freeze and thaw repeatedly are risking damaged root, and won’t get the moisture and protection that they need from the soil.

Mulching is typically advised after the hard frost. However, it is not too late if you haven’t had a chance to mulch until now. In fact, the best time to mulch entire borders or beds would be in mid spring or late winter. This will ensure that beds won’t dry quickly from the summer heat and trap in moisture from the cold weather.

Mulching will not only enhance the quality of your soil, it can also reduce the amount of time you’ll spend on weeding and watering. Mulching will also give  your landscape a tidy appearance.

Applying mulch

You can mulch borders and beds entirely, but take extra care so as not to smother vulnerable or low-growing plants. Avoid piling mulches against the stems of woody plants as well.

  • Make sure that the soil is moist and that the site is clear of weeds. It’s hard to wet dry soil through a layer of mulch, so water if necessary.
  • For the mulch to be effective, make sure that it is at least 2in or 5cm thick.
  • Layer the mulch across the soil and around the plants with a spade, then rake evenly.
  • Planting through mulch sheets is effective when creating new beds.
  • Mulch specimen shrubs and single trees to the radius of the canopy.

If you have questions about mulching, feel free to ask us at Southern Botanical, your professional landscaping company in Dallas. We are always happy to help!