Home >> Landscaping Information >> Mulch Use

How Do You Use Mulch?

For plant beds that have not been mulched recently (or ever), you'll want to spread about 3 inches of mulch over the entire bed. Around your plants, you should taper the mulch down so it doesn't press up against the base (mulch left around the base will soften the bark and give easy access to insects and disease).

You can make your mulch look professional by using a flat spade to cut an edge around the bed before you mulch, basically a lip or rim three to four inches deep. This looks good and prevents mulch from washing out of your beds when it rains.

You should mulch first if you're planting flowers or very small plants. This makes things easier than trying to spread mulch around young plants.

Maintenance mulching needs to be done at least once a year. You should only need to add 1-2 inches at a time.