PLEASE!! NO VOLCANOS!!! (deja vu for some of you!)

It's been a downpour of a day, so I'm stuck inside dreaming about my garden coming back to life and worrying that we are SO FAR behind with all of our clients because of the snowy rainy March. So I looked back at some of my first posts last May and June 2016, and thought here's an informative one!

**SO....here's a re-PEAT from last spring about MULCH. I did add a few more (internet) photos **

Hi Everyone!~

I'm here today to say one thing...No volcano mulching!

(Well, actually, I am going to say more than one thing :-))

This time of year, many people have finished their spring clean-ups, planted a few new plants or shrubs, and have mulched their property. Mulching has it's place for keeping in moisture during dry periods as well as helping to keep weeds at bay....not to mention, mulch can have a tidying effect to the overall look of a flower/perennial garden or entire property. I personally do not use very much mulch. My plants in the garden are very mature and there really is not much dirt space showing, so no need for mulch. I only have a few bare spots in some hot areas that I have put some mulch down so that the ground doesn't get too dried out.

When it comes to shopping for mulch, look for a natural shredded hardwood (like pine or cedar)

and also consider these Do's and Don't's

DO use a natural mulch like organic shredded hardwoods (like cedar, or pine) There is also a more expensive mulch that has become popular called sweet peat (altho some people think it gets too hot for plants). The natural mulch has a chance to break down over time and actually may enhance the soil. You can buy mulch at any garden center or The Home Depot, but you might also want to try your town's dump- many chip and shred their own mulch from the spring debris.
DON'T use any mulch that is dyed! No Red. No black. Besides robbing the dirt of it's nitrogen, dyed mulch is just plain unnatural looking.

DO put mulch down in a light layer- maybe 2" deep
DO NOT put mulch down thicker than 2". It's unnecessary, water has a hard time getting all the way down to the dirt and roots, and besides, a waste of money! Those landscapers with their blowers will blow it all off by the end of the season anyway...there goes your $$ being blown to the curb :-(

DO place mulch around your plants, shrubs and trees, but just as close as the drip line.
DO NOT mulch right up to the base of the plants, shrubs, or trees. And never throw mulch right into the center of a shrub or plant! (I have seen this!) If mulch is up to the base (or ON the base), then water will have a harder time getting through to the root system AND also, the mulch will retain heat and can often burn and kill plants.

AND Remember....

NO VOLCANOS!

ugly red mulch AND volcano...heavens to betsy, what were they thinking!

Piling mulch around the base of a tree is just non-sensical. For starters, the water will not be able to penetrate down to the roots. Next, the roots will go looking for water which means they will actually stay closer to the surface and start to root into the mulch instead of rooting into the soil. If all the roots of a new tree are in the volcano, then in a couple years a big wind could just knock the thing right over.

Volcano mulching will also encourage unhealthy GIRDLED Roots that will choke your tree!

Volcanos can be attractive to unwanted pests and insects which will break down the bark and also weaken the tree. Only mulch up to the natural collar of the tree:

So there you go...the basics of mulching. And don't forget.... Enjoy your garden!!

Happy Gardening!

--GL