Autumn is a great time to mulch

Both garden soils and plants benefit from mulch. While you can mulch at any time of the year, doing so in autumn makes a lot of sense. At this time of year, the soil is warm, so you’ll trap in that heat. After the huge amount of rain we have experienced, it makes sense to lock the moisture in, in preparation for the coming drier winter months (by the way, mulching dry soil doesn’t work, because it acts as a barrier to rain).

A generous application of mulch will help keep winter weeds at bay, protect the roots of plants and help prevent soil from washing away in storms or gusty wind.

Biodegradable mulches such as bark chippings, homemade compost, straw and shredded timber are a wonderful choice because as well as suppressing weeds and locking in moisture, they feed the soil.  

Mulch should be applied in the spaces between plants and around the base of shrubs and trees. You wouldn't like to have your food dumped on your head, so don’t do it to your plants! Make sure you don’t smother the crown of perennials, and don’t mulch right the way up to the stem of trees and shrubs: there needs to be a moat of space between the mulch and the base of the tree or shrub, because wet mulch can rot the stem. 

How thickly you mulch depends on how much you have to mulch with: even a 1cm layer will improve soil structure, though you need at least 8-10cm to suppress weeds.

The type of mulch you choose depends on a range of factors, from the type of plants you have in the garden bed, to the size of the area to be mulched, whether it is a flat or sloping block, and your budget.

If you are unsure, speak to one of our friendly, knowledgeable staff on 5453 7100 and we will point you in the right direction.