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Menards Home Improvement Topics: “Mulch can help your plants thrive”

Posted at 10:49 AM, Apr 11, 2019
and last updated 2020-06-30 10:41:58-04

As you begin to plan your spring landscaping, mulch can help your plants

thrive so don’t forget to consider your options.

Benefits of mulch

 Completes the look of your yard or flower bed

 Acts as a natural weed control

 Maintains moisture levels in your soil, protecting from over and

under watering

 Acts as a barrier to fluctuating temperatures that can damage your

plants

 Plant-based mulch adds nutrients back into the soil as it decomposes

Types of mulch

 Leaves or grass clippings decompose quickly and enrich the soil

 Bark is decorative, decomposes slowly and adds nutrients to the soil

 Wood chips are decorative, decompose quickly and add nutrients to

the soil

 Stones or pebbles are decorative but not beneficial to the soil like

plant-based mulch, but won’t have to be replaced every year

Having success with mulch

 Protect the yard around your planting bed with edging

 For new plants, shrubs or trees, install them in the soil before you

add mulch and allow plenty of room to grow. Adding mulch retains

water.

 When adding new mulch to a perennial planting bed, remove the old

layer so you don’t cause rot, starve from nutrients or kill them.

 Mulch should never be more than three inches thick in a planting bed

 For mature plants, shrubs or trees, clear mulch away from a four-inch

area around each plant base to prevent too much water and rot.