How to Fix Up a Lawn or Garden With Mulch

Mulch. It doesn't sound like much, but there's a reason it's such a popular item to use around the home and garden. Mulch can help lock in temperature and moisture in soil, prevent weeds from going, keep unwanted critters out, decorate an area, and even improve the quality of the soil by enhancing nutrients (in the case of "organic" mulch). So if there's been something missing from your lawn or garden, there's a good chance that the answer to your problems is as simple as laying down some mulch. Here's how to do it.

First, mulching will depend on the kind of climate you live in. If you live in a cold-weather climate and your winters will see a thick layer of snow for months at a time, you'll want to apply cold-weather mulch before winter and make sure you replace it every year. If you live in a warm-weather area where temperatures are pretty stable year-round, you'll also want to annually replace mulch, but you probably won't need to apply it for the sake of the seasons.

Mulch can work in both temperatures, however, to keep the soil at a better temperature. In warm-weather areas, mulch can block out a lot of sunlight and keep the ground cooler - after all, you know how warm blacktop can get when it simply sits out in the sun all day. For cold-weather areas, mulch will have an insulating effect. For this reason, you'll want to apply mulch different: just a 1-2 inch layer in the warm weather areas, and more insulating mulch for colder areas, which means an even thicker layer.

You'll also want to plot out where you use your mulch. Mulch can make a great border between grass and garden; just remember that you probably won't be walking on it much. Take a look at your landscaping and ask yourself where the borders should go. Don't go overboard with them; simply realize that borders can really augment and improve the look of a great landscape design.

In general, the best idea for using mulch is to KISS, or "Keep It Simple, Stupid." Use mulch to help keep the soil protected and also provide a landscape border. Don't overdo it with the mulch; simply lay it, inspect it, and then leave it. You'll find that this approach will work just fine, and it will only take on Saturday afternoon of work.

Photo Credits: knitsteel

This post involves:

borders, cold weather, garden mulch, good chance, grass, home and garden, landscape design, nutrients, sake, soil, sun, sunlight, temperatures, thick layer, unwanted critters, warm weather, weather area, weather areas, weather climate, weeds

... and focuses on:

Backyard, How to Fix, Landscaper, Lawn

Posted by Fix Handyman on January 5, 2010 in Backyard, How to Fix, Landscaper, Lawn. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.