Tips On Using Mulch Around The Home

Most homeowners look to mulch to protect their flowers, trees and shrubs and to provide nutrients when temperatures deplete the soil. There are several other ways to use mulch around the home:

. Patching a bare spot in the lawn

. As a light base for potted plants

. For transplanting bare root plants

. As a soil additive

 

Patch The Bare Spot In The Lawn

Keep birds from making a feast of newly sown grass seed by using a light covering of mulch over the seed. The light covering of mulch will also keep grass seed from washing away should a torrential rain occur suddenly.

 

Mulch For Potted Plants

One handy tip to give potted plants an extra boost is to fill the base of the pot with a light layer of mulch. The nutrients in the mulch feed the roots and keep potted plants healthier.

 

Mulch transplanted bare roots

Whenever a shrub, tree, flowers or vegetables are moved from one location to another, it's a good idea to purchase degradable burlap, fill it with mulch and allow plantings a few days to adapt to the new soil environment. This is one way to help plantings avoid the shock of radical changes from one location to another. Keep the burlap moist for a day or two and then transplant.

 

Mulch As A Soil Additive

Mulch makes a wonderful soil additive. This is especially true in regions where the climate is dry or the soil has become depleted of its nutrients. Check the levels of nitrogen and other basic minerals in mulch for compatibility with the composition of the soil before mulching. This helps balance the soils pH levels as well as providing faster assimilation in the soil/mulch mix. Use mulch whenever depleted soil is cultivated.