Summer is that time of year where everyone wants to work on beautifying their yards and landscapes. A huge part of this lawn care regiment is mulching. Mulching can be a huge benefit to your lawn if done properly. So what do you need to know before you dig into this task?

Before you can begin mulching you have to decide on the type of mulch you want to use. There are many options out there, such as bark, wood chips, straw, and leaves. But which one is best to use? Good mulch can help retain water, reduce weeds, and improve the health of your soil. Wood chips, which seem to be a more popular choice of mulch, are able to do many of these things except they aren’t very rich in nutrients. Straw and hay, on the other hand, are more nutrient-rich but they break down fairly easily so they need to be reapplied continuously. One of the best options would be to use leaves as mulch. Yes, leaves. They do everything right, from retaining water to providing more nutrients. They may not be the appealing in terms of aesthetics, but they will get the job done! Read more about the best types of mulch here.

The Mulching Process

Once you picked out the type of mulch you want to use, the next step is to actually begin the process! Before you dig in, however, you’ll want to keep a few things in mind first. Have you removed any weeds that might be present? It’s important to remove any weeds first before you begin the mulching process because you want the mulch to help enrich your lawn, not the weeds! You’ll also have to know how much mulch to use. The thickness of mulch you apply will vary depending on the size of the mulch particles. If the mulch is made up of fine particles such as shredded bark, you’ll want to put down between 2 and 3 inches. Any more could reduce oxygen flow to the roots of the plants or your lawn. For mulch made up of larger particles, such as straw, you can put down up to 4 inches. Read more about the amount of mulch that should be applied here.

It's important to remember that mulch should help improve the health of your lawn and plants! Too much mulch won't be a benefit. Read more about over-mulching here.

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