by Kristy Stevens-Young

Created on: July 06, 2008   Last Updated: October 24, 2011

Spring mulching is something every gardener needs to do but may not know a lot about. Here are the five simple steps to Spring mulching as well as a list of dos and don'ts to insure healthier plants with less pests and disease damage.

Five Easy Steps to Spring Mulching

1. Remove all weeds, grass and any other debris that has found there was into your garden beds.

2. Till (or loosen) the soil in the beds to allow water and nutrients to break through.

3. Add your fertilizer. I prefer organic but you can use any commercial fertilizer or some aged manure. All are available at your local nurseries or hardware stores such as Lowes that have a large plant section. Mix in the fertilizer with a medal rake or a shovel.

4. Plant your spring flowers or the last of your cool-weather crops in the newly fertilized areas.

5. Finish off the plants by mulching from your compost or use organic materials (pine needles, grass clippings, wood mulch) or non-organic products such as rocks or black plastic. The mulching product should be between 2-4 inches thick (after settling) to fully keep the weeds down and keep the soil cooler during the summer as well as help it to avoid drying out as quickly.

Note: Non-organic mulching is normally used for decorative or visual value since it adds no nutrients to the soil. So stick to organic choices in your beds.

Spring Mulching DOS

1. Do mulch cool-weather garden plants early in the Spring to help keep their soil cool.

2. Do feel free to add a fine layer of bark on top of the mulched beds if desired.

3. Do put in some type of edging along the beds to avoid weeds from creeping in after you mulch.

4. Do mulch the root zone, or at least much as possible. That means to mulch entire beds and extend out as much as six feet from tree bases.

5. Do understand what mulching does - it reduced pests and disease damage, it adds nutrients to the soil, helps control weeds and buffers the plants from seasonal weather changes.

Spring Mulching DON'TS

1. Don't mulch flowers gardens too early in the Spring. Flowers prefer warmer soil conditions so it is best to give them a few weeks of sunshine before mulching.

2. Don't pack the mulch up against your trees to prevent bark decay.

3. Don't remove the mulch to fertilize later in the season. Simply fertilize over the mulched area and the nutrients will travel down to the roots when watered.

4. Don't assume that once an area is mulched, it will be weed free and never have to be mulched again. Weeds are tough and they can sometimes find their way through the mulch. Also if your mulch was not clean, you could have brought in seeds and weeds yourself! Always know what is in your mulch and re-mulch every other or every year.

Spring mulching is an important conservation practice; it protects top soil from wind and water erosion, keeps the soil moister so we use less water and prevents weeds. By using our compost and other organic items, mulching add nutrients into the roots and helps keep the plants pest free. Mulching is a simple procedure that yields a full year of benefits.

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