Applying Mulch to Flower Beds
Organic and Inorganic Mulch
Caring for recent transplants should include cultivating the soil whenever it becomes too compacted, along with applying mulch to limit weed growth, hold moisture, and help the soil retain warmth during times of unseasonably cool temperatures.
Your choice of mulch material either may be organic or inorganic, depending on the flowers you plant and the site conditions in your garden.
The best mulches are coarse and porous, with good insulating properties.
Inorganic mulches include gravel, volcanic rock, crushed granite, or other minerals. Choose a material with color and texture appealing to your eye that matches the paint scheme of your home or your geographic region.
The choice of organic mulches is wider than inorganic. They include weed-free straw, compost, wood chips, bark of varied sizes and composition, salt hay, pine needles, rice straw, coconut coir, crushed nut shells, and other loose, slow-to-decompose plant and wood materials.
A third option is breathable mulch cloth—sometimes called landscape fabric—used as a permanent mulch because of its weed-blocking properties. Its downside is that it prevents future access to the soil beneath for cultivating, amending, and fertilizing.
Follow the directions shown to apply each type of mulch.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Applying mulch after planting and removing and reapplying mulch when it has decomposed or no longer looks fresh is simple and easy for most flower gardeners.
Gather your tools and mulch, then choose from one of the three options provided below:
Three Ways to Apply Mulch to Flower Beds
Apply barrier plastic sheet or breathable mulch cloth to the area.
Hold it in place with stainless-wire or plastic stakes.
Plant directly through the material by cutting an X-shaped hole at the location each plant.
Dress the bed with crushed bark or other organic or inorganic mulch.
Apply organic compost, pulverized bark, or sawdust to established plantings, especially where soil pH naturally is too high and decomposition will acidify the soil in the bed.
Apply a layer 1–2 in. (25–50 mm) thick after cultivating.
Use weed-free straw as a mulch in regions with short growing seasons marked by cool weather because of its excellent insulating properties.
Apply 3–4 in. (7–10 cm) of straw to insulate the soil, block sunlight, and limit weed-seed germination.
When the mulch deteriorates, remove the old straw and compost it, then apply fresh straw.