We all know about the benefits of mulching. Past newsletters have articles about mulching and they can be found by searching the NICA website. Hopefully we all had time to rake back the mulch before the recent rain event. Just don’t forget to rake it back again when the rain stops.
Mulching around new plantings is an arduous task. The risk of damage to the plants is high, either from getting trampled or covered in mulch during the spreading. While mulching first then planting removes the concern of covering the plants, it is hard work to dig through mulch and extra time is needed to keep the mulch from touching the stem.
This easy method reduces the chance of damage and ensures the mulch doesn’t touch the stem.
- Plant the seedlings.
- Cover each seedling with a bucket or pot that doesn’t squash the plant. If the pot the plant came in isn’t big enough, there are always pots being given away or they can be found at the tip.
- Spread the mulch. Do this in sections if there aren’t enough pots to cover all the plants.
- Remove buckets or pots.
- Water.
- Sit back with a cool drink and admire your hard work.
Michelle Newall
