Fallen leaves may be the best mulch.
What is mulch?
Mulch is a layer of material (typically organic) used for weed suppression, soil moisture retention, temperature moderation as well as improving soil fertility as mulch breaks down over time.
Where do I get mulch?
Mulch is free and available to residents in several municipalities in Westchester County. Check with your municipality to see if they offer this. Alternately, bagged mulch is available at garden centers and nurseries.
What kind of mulch should I use?
Mulch made up of organic material (leaves, plant debris that has broken down over time) will benefit your soil fertility as the material breaks down. Most of the commercially available mulch is organic in nature so will break down over time as opposed to stone or gravel.
Note: Avoid the use of dyed mulch. Not only does colored mulch pose potential health risks to people, pets and plants, they also do not enrich soil or add beneficial bacteria or nitrogen.
When do I apply mulch?
Typically, mulch is applied in the spring, though it can be applied in the fall and any time throughout the growing season, and should be applied for any new garden or landscape installation.
How do I apply mulch?
Generally, a mulch layer is two to three inches thick. Read in the How-to Guides section some tips on Proper Mulching.
- Perennials: Be sure not to bury the crowns of plants as the extra moisture mulch holds will rot the crowns.
- Shrubs: Avoid mulching right up the base of the shrub. Leave room under the shrub for air flow to prevent fungal pathogens.
- Trees: Do not use mulch volcanoes. Do not bury the natural tree flare with mulch as it causes too much moisture to build up around the trunk and the root ball. This can lead to fungus, rot and decay and ultimately lead to the death of the tree. Below shows the tree on the left with a mulch volcano and on the right, the correct way to mulch allowing for the flare to be seen at the based of the trunk.
Mulch Volcano (left) Proper Mulching (right)
Again, the image on the left in the schematic below shows improper mulching. The mulch is piles at the based of the tree trunk in a destructive mulch volcano. The image on the right shows the proper way to mulch a tree. the mulch shold be kept away from the trunk and lightly cover a ring of soil that feeds water to a ro ot ball. As the tree grows, the mulched area can be enlarged, but the trunk must remain uncovered. The image below is courtesy of the The Washington Post.
Improper Mulching (left) Proper Mulching (right)
Do I need to reapply mulch every year?
Technically, mulch can be reapplied every year, though it is a resource sink..... Instead, consider using leaf mulch or a native groundcover (a living mulch).
What is leaf mulch?
Leaf mulch is leaves from your property that are chopped or shredded on site and then reapplied to gardens and landscapes. Leaf mulch naturally puts nutrients back into your soil as it decomposes and provides habitat for overwintering insects and other invertebrates. Keeping leaves on your property has the additional environmental benefit of reducing your carbon footprint by reducing leaf blowing and not transporting leaves off site.
What is “living or green mulch?
Living or green mulch consists of native groundcovers that take the place of mulch, providing seasonal interest as well as moderating soil moisture and temperature. And unlike mulch, which is reapplied year after year, you only have to plant it once.
This information was prepared by Missy Fabel.