The Benefits of Proper Mulch Maintenance 

Applying mulch to your garden beds is a great cost effective way to improve the health of all of the plants in your garden! Some benefits of proper mulch maintenance in garden beds include: 

• Suppressing weed germination 
• Containing moisture in the soil and reducing evaporation caused by the sun
• Moderates soil temperature with the seasons 
• Erosion protection 
• Disease protection 

Proper Mulch Maintenance

For mulch to properly produce all of these benefits, it is important to practice the following mulch maintenance techniques. Doing so can promote a lush and healthy garden: 

• Ensure your mulch is properly placed. mulch is there to protect the root system, not the trunk. When checking on your mulch placement, make sure it is spread evenly in a 2 inch layer that reaches as far out as the roots extend. This will insure that your mulch is providing proper root system protection. It also allows for less opportunity for rodents and other garden pests to hide within the mulch. 

• Ensure the materials in the mulch are of high quality. Organic materials like wood chips, pine needles, bark chunks, and fall leaves, are the most eco-friendly and beneficial materials that your mulch can be made of. The goal is to mimic forest conditions with organic materials to promote healthy growth.