When to mulch a garden?
Mulching your garden provides protection in summer and winter. Summer protection holds down weed growth, keeps soil cool and conserves water. If you are in a water short area you may use a Ross Deep Root Feeder get under the mulch and to the perennial roots. Winter protection does not keep the ground from freezing. It prevents the ground from freezing and thawing so your plants don’t heave out of the soil or start to grow too soon. Do not put down a layer of mulch in the fall until the ground is frozen. This would be Nov. or Dec. If you put down mulch too early mice will build a home in it. They will feast on your plant roots all winter. Mulch should be about three inches. So, the bottom line is you should always have some mulch on your plants. Do not use fresh grass clippings. They take nitrogen from the soil and they may have been treated with pesticides or herbicides that can damage your plants.
