Common mistakes when mulching

There are so many benefits of mulch for your gardens. But homeowners often make critical mistakes when mulching that can end up hindering their gardens instead of helping them.

Beyond aesthetics, mulch helps to suppress weeds, control soil temperature and moisture and prevent pest infestations. But common mistakes made when choosing and installing mulch can end up doing the opposite of what was intended.

See our blog article on the Benefits of Mulch

It can be temping to save a few bucks and get free mulch from decomposing trees. However, this free mulch might have insects, seeds for weeds to germinate from or pesticides that will damage your tree or garden. Stick to high quality mulch. Get a quote.

Making a mound or volcano of mulch, pressed up up against the base of the trees or plants is the worst mistake you can make. This will block sun, rot the root and cause insect infestation. Instead leave some space around the base of the tree or plant.

Adding too much mulch can cause excess water retention leaving your soil soggy and prone to fungal diseases. Plus it can smother roots, preventing them from getting the oxygen they need to flourish. Stick to 1-2 inches.

Not using enough mulch will prevent your soil from retaining the moisture it needs and it won’t be able to regulate the soil temperature risking stress to plants and trees. Mulch decomposes giving rich nutrients to the soil, but this also means it depletes. Maggio recommends you replace mulch annually.

Another big mistakes if not removing the weeds before you add mulch. Some weeds can even spread under mulch, plus they feed off the nutrients in the mulch and soil, leaving less for your plants.

Proper mulch installation is key when it comes to the health of your plants and shrubs. The amount, thickness and proximity to your plants all factor in to the success of your mulching. Leave the dirty work to us, Maggio has you covered.

Visit our mulch installation page for more details.