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Posted: Jun/08/2006 5:49 PM PST
I've been avoiding putting mulch in my garden for a couple of reasons. First because I'm not done planting but second because I'm worried it will prevent my perennials from spreading. I want them to spread and fill out the areas they're planted in. For most of my plants this is the first or second year that they've been planted. I'm working on an area right now that's all new plantings Will my plants be able to spread through a fairly thick coat of mulch? |
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Posted: Jun/08/2006 6:41 PM PST
Quote: Originally posted by August I've been avoiding putting mulch in my garden for a couple of reasons. First because I'm not done planting but second because I'm worried it will prevent my perennials from spreading. I want them to spread and fill out the areas they're planted in. For most of my plants this is the first or second year that they've been planted. I'm working on an area right now that's all new plantings Will my plants be able to spread through a fairly thick coat of mulch?August, it's has never affected mine with regards to spreading. They will come right up through the mulch. Also, the mulch breaks down eventually and you will have to apply more. |
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Posted: Jun/08/2006 7:57 PM PST
how thick are you talking?! 1-2" is plenty and it'll actually help keep the moisture in the soil and hold down the weed population. your plants will fare much better w/mulch. don't use anything as mulch that will compact like whole wet leaves, sheets of newpaper, etc. there's a lot of great choices of excellent mulch material out there. |
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Posted: Jun/08/2006 11:12 PM PST
I'm thinking 1-2 inches of shredded hardwood. Typical mulch. I just thought that if it kept the weeds down that maybe it would do the same for the plants too. |
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Posted: Jun/09/2006 1:43 AM PST
This is only my second gardening year, and I can verify that mulch does not prevent your perennials from spreading. If they are prone to spreading, they will spread. It may prevent some of your annuals from re-seeding, but I still have lots of those, too. |
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Posted: Jun/10/2006 3:45 PM PST
My cleome and hollyhocks still reseed, and I tend to spread mulch a little thicker than 2". |
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Posted: Jun/10/2006 5:11 PM PST
I mulch all my perennials and they have no problem spreading. |
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Posted: Jun/11/2006 1:31 AM PST
Please, please, PLEASE!!!!!!!!! Follow the advise of the thickness of your mulch! I just did a planting job, about a month ago.... I planted a couple hundred perennials for a client.... some places I had to remove mulch, just to get the plants planted safely. I'm talking inches and INCHES of mulch! A few days later, he had more mulch spread. A few weeks later, I returned to plant annuals. He told me that a few of the perennials I had planted, had died.  2 actually did.... because they had been smothered with mulch, and the plants rotted. A few others were'nt dead.... just MIA. They had been COMPLEATLY coverd up!!!!!
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Posted: Jun/11/2006 1:46 AM PST
Use a good shredded mulch, 2-4 inches deep. Don't put it right against the plants. Keep it back about 2 inches or so. It will break down. Also your plants will spread perfectly fine. The mulch will help with the weeds and moisture. I usually spread about 2-3 layers of newspaper first, wet it down, then plant thru it. Then spread the mulch. This is for new beds. The newspaper will desentegrate quickly, but will smother out the weeds in the area. I have about 3 ac of beds and have never had a problem with mulch or newspaper, stopping the perinnals from spredding or reseeding. Attachments:    |
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Posted: Jun/12/2006 9:28 AM PST
If you use the newspaper and grass mulch idea , it makes a great seeding bed for spreading plants. Just make sure you know what your babies look like so you don't pull or cover them up |
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