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Tips for Applying Mulch!
by
Julie @ Wife, Mother, Gardener
(IC: blogger)
$80
Easy
We will have 3 yards of mushroom compost delivered this week. When I begin filling my first wheelbarrow, I will think about the mulching techniques I have learned from many and various gardeners over the past 10 years...
What I have learned so far:
1. This is a lot of work! So make it count for double the time & money: add nutrients while you mulch.
2. Apply it 2-3 inches deep to suppress weeds for the growing season. You still may get some, but usually they are easier to pull out of the loose mulch than the firm soil.
3. Make sure to leave your plants some wiggle room. Apply the mulch deeply, but leave it at least one inch away from the crown of the plant. Leave 2-3 inches of space all around tree trunks.
4. Do not apply hot compost (meaning mushroom compost or other nutrient rich sources) to woodland (e.g. ferns) or silver-leaved plants (lavender).
5. For garden areas in which you want to encourage self-seeding plants, use a garden fork to "tickle in" some compost over those areas. Christopher Lloyd talks all about this in his book Succession Planting for Year-Round Pleasure. He also covers many other aspects of ornamental gardens. (It is my favorite garden book\!)
6. If you are mulching with well-rotted mushroom compost, be sure to save some extra for patching you lawn, topping off your vegetable beds (or containers), and even your ornamental containers.
7. You know you are a real gardener when just thinking of rotted plant and animal material gives you excited butterflies in your stomach... as opposed to the queasiness that most people feel in their stomachs.
Any more tips from my fellow gardeners?
What I have learned so far:
1. This is a lot of work! So make it count for double the time & money: add nutrients while you mulch.
2. Apply it 2-3 inches deep to suppress weeds for the growing season. You still may get some, but usually they are easier to pull out of the loose mulch than the firm soil.
3. Make sure to leave your plants some wiggle room. Apply the mulch deeply, but leave it at least one inch away from the crown of the plant. Leave 2-3 inches of space all around tree trunks.
4. Do not apply hot compost (meaning mushroom compost or other nutrient rich sources) to woodland (e.g. ferns) or silver-leaved plants (lavender).
5. For garden areas in which you want to encourage self-seeding plants, use a garden fork to "tickle in" some compost over those areas. Christopher Lloyd talks all about this in his book Succession Planting for Year-Round Pleasure. He also covers many other aspects of ornamental gardens. (It is my favorite garden book\!)
6. If you are mulching with well-rotted mushroom compost, be sure to save some extra for patching you lawn, topping off your vegetable beds (or containers), and even your ornamental containers.
7. You know you are a real gardener when just thinking of rotted plant and animal material gives you excited butterflies in your stomach... as opposed to the queasiness that most people feel in their stomachs.
Any more tips from my fellow gardeners?
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Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Published April 4th, 2013 3:08 PM
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4 of 57 comments
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Sharon on Jul 01, 2015I'm interested in your pots of ivy you have sitting by the compost. Can you tell me more? Thanks.
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Cor1382303 on Feb 11, 2016Julie, it seems like you know very well about gardening. That's great that you mentioned the technique of add mulch to a garden. Reading the step by step or the tips that you provided had me thinking about the garden that my wife wanted me to do for this month. Well, it would probably have to be after this month since it's still the winter season. Still, it's a project that I'm willing to do for her and her garden. <a href='http://mulch-masters.com/product-list/' ></a>
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