How Often Should You Be Replenishing the Mulch in Your Garden?

How Often Should You Be Replenishing the Mulch in Your Garden?

Most property owners here in Illinois know that mulch ground covers can provide a wide range of benefits for the plants in their gardens. However, many of them are unsure of how often they should be replenishing their mulch supply. Because mulch is made of natural materials, it decomposes over time and needs to be freshened up. It is recommended that you replenish your mulch once a year during the spring.

Why do you need to replenish your mulch?

There are a few reasons why you need to replenish your mulch supply. The main reason is that most types of mulch, such as wood mulch, are made of natural materials, meaning that they will decompose over time. While this may seem like a negative part of mulch ground covers, it is actually great for the plants in your garden; when your mulch supply breaks down, the extra nutrients that make it up are absorbed into your soil. This improves the quality of your soil and, as a result, improves the health of your plants. Also, if you have recently experienced heavy rainfall or strong winds, that could be another reason why you should freshen up your mulch supply.

How often should you be replenishing your mulch?

It is highly recommended that you replenish your mulch supply at least once a year. As the seasons and weather change over time, your mulch will not only decompose but will also move around; the wind that Illinois is known for can displace your mulch and leave your garden looking bare. Replenishing your mulch once a year gives you the peace of mind that your garden has enough mulch in it to protect your plants. It also ensures that your garden will stay looking neat, tidy, and beautiful throughout the year.

Why is spring the best time of year to replenish your mulch?

Spring is the best time of the year to replenish your mulch supply because it gives you a chance to freshen up your mulch following the winter season. It also allows you to prepare the plants in your garden for the upcoming summer weather. Mulch does this by:

• Regulating your soil temperature: Summer temperatures here in Illinois can get too hot to promote plant growth. By freshening up your mulch in the spring, you are able to better regulate the temperature of your soil and keep it closer to the optimal growth range during the summer.
• Suppressing springtime weeds: Weeds tend to grow the most aggressively during the springtime. Since mulch helps to suffocate weeds and suppress their growth, refreshing your mulch at this time will combat those pesky spring weeds in your garden.
• Retaining moisture: During the summer season, the weather will be hotter and drier than it is in the spring which will cause the water in your garden to evaporate more quickly. Replenishing your mulch in the spring will help your soil stay moist for longer so your plants require less watering throughout the summer.

Give us a call to schedule our mulch installation service today!

If you're looking for an easy way to enhance your garden and improve the health of your plants, our landscaping team at Creekside Landscapes can help you. We can install a variety of different mulches, including cypress mulch, cedar mulch, red mulch, and black mulch. We offer this service to the homes and businesses in Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Bethalto, and surrounding areas in Illinois. Give us a call at (618) 374-0010 to schedule our top-notch mulch installation service today!