County Gardeners Extension Express
Mulching
November is a good time to add mulch to your garden and ornamental beds for pro-tection against the cold. Mulches provide pro-tection by insulating the plant roots. Mulches also prevent soil crusting and soil movement caused by rainfall.
Organic mulches have the added bene-fit of building soil structure and improving soil drainage. Two popular organic mulch options are bark and pine needles. Pine nee-dles are insulating, non-matting, and enhance the landscape’s appearance, but are not the best choice for weed control. I would not recommend choosing hay as a mulch in the landscape or vegetable garden. Hay may contain herbicides, such as 2,4-D, which can be detrimental to your herbaceous plants and garden crops. Hay, most likely, will contain weed seed as well. If you choose hay as a mulch, know your source!
How much mulch to apply will depend on the mulching material used. An ap-plication rate of 6 to 8 inches is recommended for both pine needles and straw. Bark should be no deeper than 2 to 3 inches. You can spread a small amount of mulch with your hands but a rake is advised for larger tasks. Establishing a barrier around the bed will help hold the applied mulch in place.
Keep in mind that organic mulches must be reapplied periodically as they deterio-rate over time. The cost of mulch will depend on the material, its availability, and the size of the mulching area. Mulching large areas can be costly. Buying in bulk (rather than by bag) when possible is one way to reduce that ex-pense. For more information on garden and landscape mulching, see Extension Publi-cation P2301, Mulches for the Landscape.
