Mulching. How could something that seems so simple, on the surface, be so important?

What is mulching?

Have you seen bedding on lovely, clean-looking grounds? Plants that are in neat little, individual spots? Trees roots piled high with … wait, what is that stuff that looks like shredded brown paper?

This is mulch. There are many kinds of mulch, but the most popular mulches look like shreds of something and can be anything between large brownish-red lumps to the shreds already mentioned. 

What does it do?

It helps your plants survive. 

• It helps your soil breathe, even in the cold weather.
• It helps keep the soil weed-free. 
• It gives a lovely home to the earthworms that help keep your bedding and lawns aerated and healthy.

What does it look like?

Mulch is very versatile in looks and materials.

• Mulch can be made from barks and wood chips. These are available in a wide variety of colors.
• Mulch can be leaves that have fallen off your trees. Those leaves make excellent insulation as you get ready for the first heavy snow.
• Mulch is essential as the first winter freezes are on the way.
• Some mulches break down as time goes on; others don’t change.
• Some are made from pebbles, small to large, available in various shapes and colors.
• Mulches can be made from recycled materials, like cloth and old tires.

Mulch can change the look of your landscape, bedding, and home. Some customers will choose mulch based predominantly on color and style. 

Even inorganic mulches, like stone, rock, and recycled rubber, come in various colors. People change mulches as part of their landscape and home decorating, using different colors and textures to enhance match or contrast with their home’s color.

How can mulch protect my bedding plants from cold weather? 

Do you and your family still like to gather even on the coldest evenings? Do you wrap in blankets and stay close together? Do you gather near the fireplace, sharing the warmth?

Mulch can insulate your bedding plants by providing protected space for the roots of your plants. It behaves like a blanket, keeping the temperatures normalized as winter approaches and snow is on the way. 

Your landscape partner, EKG Lawn Services, will increase the amount of mulch around your plants, and when the first snow comes, it will protect the delicate roots and lower stems from the freezing air. 

Some of the best mulches for winter are made from stuff you probably already have. Remember your fall cleanup and raking the leaves into piles? Those dry leaves mounded high around your delicate plants provide excellent insulation from the cold.

As the snow falls – provided it’s a small amount – it will act as a blanket over the mulch, keeping the temperature steady and allowing your plants to reach a state of hibernation till things start to thaw out in spring. Even your earthworms will sleep through the coldest of winters.

Waiting for the thaw…

… is the perfect time to sit down with EKG to do some early spring planning. While waiting for spring, your grounds and gardens will go through several stages of thaw. The thaw isn’t immediate and occurs in various stages. So this will be a good time to do some preparation for your lawn and bedding.

Hit the catalog websites to choose and order new plants if you desire to make changes. Your landscaping partners at EKG will be a big help with those choices. They are already familiar with your lawns and gardens and probably have a good idea about your tastes. 

What happens to the mulch in the spring?

You will still need mulch as the warmer weather approaches. The snow will start melting and dripping down into the mulch and on the plants’ stems and roots, watering as they thaw.

Once the snow is gone, the grass will change a little. The grass blades will start to return to their upright position after being squished by the heavy blanket of snow that protected the lawn. The ground will be evaluated carefully until it is thawed almost wholly. It will be slightly springy as you step on it, and the grass will spring back into position quickly.

Spring cleanup will start as soon as the ground has been thawing for several days. Old organic mulch, like the leaves, will have deteriorated. Mulches made of bark, shredded wood, and even grass clippings will also have deteriorated. This organic material will be removed, and fresh mulch will be chosen.

What about my sleeping plants?

Now that the snow is melted and things are thawed out, your plants are waking up – both above and below the ground. But, sadly, not all of them will have survived the winter. 

Remember the bulbs we removed at the first cold snap? They are still safely sleeping in their container, ready to be inspected. First, they will be checked for mold or rot, softness, cracks, or other damage. Then, the healthy ones will be planted in the pleasing areas among the bedding plants.

If you desire to rearrange the flowers in your bedding, replace some plants, or even redo the entire bedding area, this is the time. 

Mulch again?

Once your bedding areas are planned, planted, and admired, it’s time for mulching again. 

Let’s be honest here. Very few people genuinely enjoy mulching. It’s an activity that will strain your back and hands. But, it’s a good reason to contact your EKG partners. They already take care of your lawns, and they did a fantastic job getting your plants ready for winter. 

The first mulching in the spring is a great time to check out the available different varieties of mulch. For example, you might decide that the bedding nearest the house should have mulch of the same or contrasting color to your house to accent it. Likewise, you might want a different texture of mulch around the roots of your shrubs and trees. 

Each decision will change something. Each change reflects your changing tastes. 

The finished landscape will be beautiful, and all because you chose to allow EKG to put their hearts in your lawn.