flower beds Archives - AJT Supplies

How Much is Too Much Mulch?

Ever wonder if you’re killing your plants with mulch? I know, you think more is better. You’re keeping the weeds down or whatever. But are you putting down too much?

For flower beds, spread the mulch about 2 inches deep. That should be deep enough to keep out most of the weeds but not so deep that it’s likely to kill the plants. And it’s plenty deep to keep the moisture in so you won’t have to water so much. Be careful not to bury the crowns of your plants or mound it around the root. Mulch that’s too deep is the equivalent of planting too deep. It also keeps nitrogen and oxygen from the plant.

For trees and shrubs you can put 3 to 4 inches of mulch but don’t put it right up to the bark. Make that area about 2 inches thick.

If you’ve got a grassy area that you want to cover over with mulch don’t expect the grass to die just because you’ve added a couple inches of mulch – it will still grow through. You can to do a couple of other things to make sure the grass dies. First, spray with RoundUp or some other herbicide. Or you can lay newspapers or landscape fabric to keep weed seeds down and put the mulch on top. Either way works beautifully!

Prepare your garden for Winter

Getting the garden ready for Winter can save some work next Spring. The cool, crisp air makes wrapping everything up a lot easier and leaves you more time in the Spring when there’s so much to do.

Here’s what needs to be done:

TOOLS AND GARDEN EQUIPMENT

Drain and put away hoses, decoration and plant supports.
Empty and clean any decorative containers you plan to use next year. Use 9 parts water and one part bleach for your cleaning solution.
Remove rust and mud from tools and decorations that were in the ground.
Clean and sharpen pruners, shovels and other tools.
Drain the gas out of power tools, clean blades and oil the metal parts.

GARDEN

Harvest whatever is left of your fruits and vegetables and pull up all the dead annuals.
Clean overgrown areas so you don’t have uninvited guests for the Winter.
Cut back perennials after the first killing frost.
Prune dead or diseased branches on woody shrubs once the shrub is dormant.
Make sure any infected items get destroyed and not put in the compost pile.
Make any planned transplants. It’s a great time while the air is cool and the soil is warm.
Put fencing around shrubs to protect them from the snow.
Spray evergreens with an anti-dessicant and wrap with burlap to protect from drying winds.
Put mounds of mulch around rootstocks of roses.

How to Choose a Bark Mulch

Bark mulch generally refers to mulch that made by shredding the bark of hard or softwood trees. It is the perfect choice for formal perennial beds. It gives that beautiful, uniform look to all your gardens.

Shredded bark mulch is an economical choice. Bark chunks tend to be more expensive. Wood chips can often be found for free but they can include sticks or large wood chunks and fade to a silvery gray that can be unflattering and will need to be replaced more often.

One of the indicators of quality pine mulch is its unique aroma. If you smell something like ammonia it means the mulch was improperly stored. Toxic mulches have a sour vinegar or garbage small, rather than that fresh wood or compost smell. Avoid mulches with that sour smell because they can cause permanent damage to your plants.

The mulch you pick really comes down to aesthetics. You want to choose a color that will complement not only the colors in your home but the colors of your shrubs and flowers. AJT offers a wide array of mulches in different colors. Which color would look best at your home?

Hemlock Mix reddish brown

Red Hemlock red

Hemlock reddish-brown

Spruce goldish-brown

Pure Black black

Best times of the year to mulch

There are two times during the year when mulching the garden and flowerbeds is essential. Mulch in late Autumn to provide protection from Winter temperatures and mulch again in Summer to help plants keep in moisture and to help reduce weeds.

In Fall, a variety of things could be used for mulch. We have so many trees that we like to mulch up the leaves and put them in the gardens. Don’t leave them whole, they’ll just get wet and possibly cause disease. Mulched leaves break down easier and provide vital nutrients to the soil. You could also use straw, shredded newspaper, grass clippings, pine needles, wood shavings or chips and old sawdust.

When mulching in Summer I use bark mulch. It gives a uniform look to all the garden beds. There are several types of bark mulch: pure organic hemlock, red hemlock, hemlock mix, pure black or spruce. Which one you choose depends on the color and scent you like.

Didn’t mulch this Spring? It’s not too late!

We were working on building a new perennial garden a few months ago and it didn’t get mulched with the other beds. Oh boy, do I regret that! Had I mulched there wouldn’t be grass seedlings popping up everywhere from where we seeded around the edging. Had I mulched, the licorice mint seedlings wouldn’t have taken over. Had I mulched, I wouldn’t have to water as much in this heat because it would’ve conserved moisture and kept the soil temperature more even. But as we finish the new garden in the next week or two it’ll be time to mulch. I like to put 2-3 inches of mulch but with everything grown in already I’m going to have to be more careful l spreading it taking care not to smother any plants. We use the black mulch which will offset the grey pagoda and the light color of the wood timbers and provide a nice contrast. It’ll be beautiful when it’s done!