How Much Mulch To Use For Your Garden

There are many types of gardens and they all serve different purposes in a landscape. When it comes to planning a garden, there are many factors to consider; where to put it, what to plant, and how to ensure the garden flourishes. A successful garden grows with healthy soil and the best way to get that is to mulch the garden properly.

There are many types of mulch that can be used in garden settings. Leaf mulch, wood chip mulch, bark mulch, compost mulch, rubber mulch, and so on and so forth. After determining which pants will be planted in the garden, choosing the right mulch should be easy. Many people consider wood mulch to be ideal for flowerbeds and old, spoiled hay mulch is great for vegetable gardens.

To calculate the amount of mulch needed for your garden beds, the perimeter of the desired area to be mulched needs to be measured. For squares and rectangles you simply multiply length times width. If the bed to be mulch is circular, measure halfway across the circle and multiply that number by itself, then that answer and multiply that by 3.14.

If the bed to be mulched is an irregular, curved shape, use a rope or objet of the like and find a way to straighten it out to get the length times width. After determining the area of your bed to be mulched, determine the depth you want the mulch to be. Knowing the calculations makes the trip to the store a lot easier and saves a lot of time when purchasing mulch.

Now that determining the amount of mulch needed for the garden has been figured out, many find themselves asking how thick the mulch should be laid. Depending on the type of garden and the weed situation existing in the bed will determine this. Most agree that anywhere from two to three inches of mulch is sufficient enough for any garden. Applying too much mulch to any garden causes many problems.

Mulch that is laid too thick will cause the soil to become waterlogged, which can kill some plants. If mulch is placed to high around the trunk of a tree, diseases can develop around the water soaked area. Also, mulch that is too thick will attract rodents. If mulch isn't laid high enough the mulch may not serve its purpose. Two to three inches of any mulch will prove to be effective in preventing weed growth and retaining moisture in the soil.

Now after deciding how much, one must also determine when to lay the mulch down. The earlier in the season you decide to lay the mulch, the better. Laying mulch earlier in the season will save time later and increase the vegetable garden's yield. Ideally, mulch should be laid down after seeds have germinated. Also, check the temperature of your soil; it should be warmed through in order to help the plants that thrive the warm, moist soil. Depending on the density of the mulch, one should lay two to six inches of mulch over topsoil in the vegetable garden.

The key to saving lots of time maintaining your vegetable garden is to lay mulch over top of the soil. Mulching flower and vegetable beds reduces the amount water used to keep the soil beneath the soil moist. Mulch reduces the amount of weeds that may potentially grow in your vegetable garden. Pests also resist infestation in a bed where mulch is present. On top of all of the time spent in your vegetable garden, mulch also makes the garden more visually appealing. Mulch prevents dirt from splashing up onto your flowers and vegetables, which also helps the appearance of your garden.

People take a lot of time and consideration in the decision to grow a garden, where they are going to place the garden, and what they are going to plant I their garden. The amount of mulch needed in order to make the garden a successful one is very important as well. After determining the area of you garden and the depth the mulch should be, the rest will be easy and the garden will be a successful one.