Why Mulch Your Garden in Autumn
Mulching your garden in Autumn is a very simple job you can do to help insulate the ground and keep the warmth in as we head into the Winter months. Mulching helps to protect your plants from extreme weather, suppresses weeds, keeps moisture in reducing the need to water and adding much needed nutrients to the soil.
What is Mulch
Mulch is a layer of material that's placed on top of the soil in your beds and borders, it can be bio-degradable or non bio-degradable. Bark chips, compost or a well-rotted manure are all bio-degradable whilst slate, gravel and chippings are all non bio-degradable. Bio-degradable mulch will add nutrients back into the soil and will need doing regularly, whilst non bio-degradable ones last a lot longer and are more decorative.
How to Mulch Your Garden
Remove all weeds from your beds and borders and give the soil a good water. Spread your selected mulch over the bare soil layering it around 2-3 inches deep, spreading evenly as you go. leave a small space around the base of shrubs and trees so that there is good air circulation for them to breath.
What to Use as Mulch
Bark chippings and decorative mulches are ideal for large areas of beds and borders. Levington Bed & Border Decorative Bark creates a smart finish to your garden paths, beds or borders whilst reducing the need to water & weed throughout the year. Ideal for use all around the garden and is perfect for low maintenance gardens. Oaktree Horse Manure is a well rotted manure that is excellent for adding nutrients back into your garden. Slates and gravel are the non bio-degradable option, they are ideal for a decorative smart finish to your borders and beds. There are lots of different colours to choose from, so you can select a colour scheme that fits with your plants.
Why Autumn is The Best Time to Mulch
The ground is still warm from the Summer months, so insulating it during September and October will help to keep that warmth in for longer. It will also help prevent waterlogging from excessive rainfall in Winter, protecting your plants. You'll see less weeds appearing the following Spring and therefore save yourself some time and because it holds the moisture better you'll need to water it less.
So get mulching this Autumn at Thompson's Garden Centres