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Questions tagged [mulch]

Mulches are gardener-applied ground covers.

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3 votes
1 answer
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Should there really be a gap between mulch and tree trunks?

"Leave a gap between the mulch and the tree trunk to prevent the tree trunk from rotting" — this is the advice that I have read in almost all articles and books that have instructions for ...
Flux's user avatar
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2 votes
0 answers
52 views

Are bamboo leaves and chopped stems suitable for use as mulch?

In my garden, there is a bamboo plant (probably Bambusa vulgaris). I occasionally chop off 3 meter (10 ft) stems to reduce the spread of the bamboo plant, and leave the stems in a pile. In addition, ...
Flux's user avatar
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Can oak leaves be used for winter compost without shredding? [duplicate]

I planted six 8ft cherry laurels in the spring. Do I need to mulch them for the winter and can I use unshredded oak leaves? Any suggestions welcome!
Janet Kluever's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
389 views

Freshish wood chips as filler for bottom of raised vege garden

I have built a raised bed (about 60cm high) and want to fill it so I can start growing stuff. Unfortunately the cost of vege mix/garden mix is quite high - so I'm wanting to add something as a ...
davidgo's user avatar
  • 4,542
0 votes
1 answer
73 views

Are they snails in the mulch?

Are they snails? They are in mulch of my mulberry tree. I read they are dangerous to plants. What should I do? https://youtube.com/shorts/NlB4EqgUm_o
EresDev's user avatar
  • 569
1 vote
1 answer
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Should I be Concerned About Mildew, etc. on Mulch?

Sadly, the brand names for bagged mulch found in the "Big Home Improvement" stores are pretty low quality nowadays. I put down some recently in my garden bed and almost immediately after a ...
AA040371's user avatar
  • 398
1 vote
0 answers
272 views

Can I sheet mulch over perennial bulbs?

By sheet mulching I mean laying cardboard and then 2-3 inches of mulch on top of it. I want to do this to an area with daffodils. Since they have already bloomed, is it ok to do this, and in theory, ...
brown thumb's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
67 views

Green giant Arborvitae natural fence

I want to create a 100 ft natural fence using Green Giants in the back row (30-50 ft ht) and staggering western green giant (15-30 ft ht)in the front. Is it best to mulch around each plant and mow the ...
Deb's user avatar
  • 11
1 vote
2 answers
117 views

What type of garden shredder produces the finest mulch?

When pruning bushes/trees in our garden we get a lot of waste branches that (up to now) were just piled up in a gigantic pile. Last year we also discovered wood chip mulch (store bought) for spreading ...
Vilx-'s user avatar
  • 197
2 votes
1 answer
175 views

color washing off black mulch

A gardener applied black mulch that he said is natural and not dyed. Yet when it rains, the color attaches to my dog. Is it normal for undyed mulch to have color wash off?
Ronsgarden's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
164 views

How do I winterize fruit trees for cold winters

I have a few young fruit trees (1 each of a Liberty apple, Canadian Harmony peach, Bartlett pear, and Satsuma plum). I live in hardiness zone 5b in northern Utah, USA. The apple tree has survived a ...
Jacob A.'s user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
46 views

Will shredded mirror bush prunings create new mirror bush plants?

I have a large mirror bush (coprosma repens) that I want to remove, but I’m aware that it can be quite invasive, and that low hanging branches can strike new roots if they touch the soil. If I ...
Nick Forge's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
564 views

Using Pine Chips for Perennial Beds

Took down 13 eastern white pine trees and was left with a significant pile of chips (plus lots of millable wood for flooring and other projects). I have several mature perennial beds and am planning ...
jwwz's user avatar
  • 155
2 votes
1 answer
274 views

Hickory leaves for compost

I've done some trimming on some hickory trees and now I have a bunch of leaves, and branches. I would like to know if these leaves are good for composting to be used in the garden afterwards. Or is ...
slybloty's user avatar
  • 209
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0 answers
224 views

Rubber mulch for artillery fungus - good idea?

We have a small bed in the front of our house as shown below. It has had artilery fungus for the last few seasons and I want to completely be rid of it. I am considering putting in rubber mulch, ...
Adam Hughes's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
82 views

Additions to an existing rice husk mulch for fixing soil nutrients?

I have a small garden that i just mulched using rice husks with 2-3 cm deep without incooporating them into the soil. Rice husks are very abundant here in Indonesia. But lately from my googling around,...
Bertie's user avatar
  • 165
3 votes
1 answer
663 views

What is a good way of getting rid of cypress leaves?

My parents' garden is circled by a massive hedge of cypress. When they bought it 10 years ago, it was completely unkept, and over the course of the years my dad has been trimming the cypresses more ...
C. Crt's user avatar
  • 133
3 votes
2 answers
331 views

About removing mulch

We just bought a house with a big front and backyard most of which is covered by newly laid mulch/wood chips. There also seems to be a layer of plastic underneath this layer of mulch. The house has ...
Sang Ram's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
114 views

Should I mulch my neighbors' leaves?

My neighborhood is 40 years old. I'm planning to only compost my backyard trees leaves. My front yard has a huge maple infected with scale and aphids, and has iron deficiency. The aphids suck moisture ...
Stay-at-home-dad's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
279 views

How long do leaves remain "green" for compost material after cutting a tree?

I am planning to clear some trees from my property to make room for a garden. I would like to chip/shred the branches to be used as mulch and compost material. According to the Back to Eden ...
Kyle McVay's user avatar
3 votes
0 answers
87 views

Simplest grass seed mulch options: Nothing vs Paper vs Ground Wheat vs Ground Oats

I am growing Kentucky bluegrass on deep topsoil in Minnesota and found that the grass punches through mostly in spots covered by a thin shredded-paper mulch that I applied (since I applied the paper ...
bobuhito's user avatar
  • 215
3 votes
0 answers
35 views

2nd time MOMMY Muscovy Duck had a clutch of eggs in my mulch bed!

I don't want Mommy to lay a 3rd Clutch!!! What can I do to deter this from happening again? They are cute and ALL when they hatch, but this 2nd Clutch ... she left one little one behind and I'm ...
Denise's user avatar
  • 31
3 votes
1 answer
414 views

Should I tear holes in woven landscape fabric to cover ground of existing raspberry plants?

It turns out that raspberry plants multiply like a weed. Initially they were in a 1ft x 6ft plot. Now they spread to the adjacent 8ft x 8ft plot. I'm not complaining. I wish it were possible to move ...
Sam7919's user avatar
  • 133
1 vote
0 answers
26 views

Preparing ground for reforestation / grass clippings for mulch

I'm at the earliest stages of toying with planting a food forest or reforesting part of my property (in rural Auckland - Zone 9a I think). The ground is mainly unmaintained grass and weeds sitting on ...
davidgo's user avatar
  • 4,542
1 vote
1 answer
74 views

Can mulch/gravel protect soil against cockchafer?

Last year I had a big problem with cockchafer (or some other bug, maybe Japanese beetle) grubs in my potted plants. I wonder if covering the soil with mulch or gravel can prevent bugs from getting ...
lawful_neutral's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
482 views

Is bark mulch termite resistant?

We're looking to freshen the mulch on our property and our pest control company is asking us to only use termite-resistant mulch. The closest alternative the landscaper has is a top grade bark mulch. ...
Jefferson's user avatar
  • 133
1 vote
0 answers
27 views

How to feed and mulch fruit bushes

I found some good information on looking after fruit trees of types common in the UK here (https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=539) Essentially: Clear ground of grass around the trunk Apply ...
Mr. Boy's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
144 views

Can leaves be used as a good mulch?

Wood chippings are often used as a natural mulch but I have a far greater abundance of leaves since my property is surrounded with beech and sycamore (a type of common maple) trees. Clearly these ...
Mr. Boy's user avatar
  • 2,527
5 votes
1 answer
173 views

Will mulching be used as a breeding ground by harmful insects and/or bacteria?

I have seen that after 2-3 weeks after applying the mulch of rice hull one of the eggplants died. It firstly started with drooping unexpectedly. I did rule out over or under watering, as schedule and ...
lsbmsb's user avatar
  • 117
3 votes
2 answers
1k views

Sequoia needles as mulch or compost

I live in Portland, OR and I have a 100+ ft sequoia in my back yard. Keeping up with the falling needles/leaves is a year-round project. I've often wondered if they would make good compost. And ...
emersonthis's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
34 views

Decorative Mulching Options for Base of Tree?

I'd like to put something decorative in the circle of dirt between the mulch ring and the base of a tree. Are there any options that are considered acceptable? A thin layer of decomposed granite? ...
AA040371's user avatar
  • 398
3 votes
1 answer
52 views

How do I create my own mulch?

I have a pile of small wood chips from felled trees. I want to create black mulch. Can I do it and how?
Marinaio's user avatar
  • 497
2 votes
2 answers
1k views

Can gravel be used beneath wood chips for weed control?

I would like to put a picnic table in my front yard and I like the look of wood chips, but I don't like landscaping fabric. Would gravel, laid beneath the wood chips, prevent weed growth in this low-...
johncs's user avatar
  • 123
1 vote
1 answer
525 views

Should I still add mulch on top of my garden bed when the soil already has mulch mixed in?

I filled my raised garden bed with Kellogg's raised bed and potting mix and have planted my vegetables (plants, not seeds). I've read that it's best to add a layer of mulch on top but this brand of ...
Afrodeezy's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
2k views

Should I allow grass to grow around the base of trees?

I recently bought a house and the grounds were professionally landscaped, so all the trees have mulch circles around them of about 6-12 feet in diameter depending on the size of the tree. Originally ...
Andre Lenotre's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
629 views

Can I use dried broad bean pods as mulch?

I had planted broad beans last year, and kept some pods on the vine until they dried out and turned black. I shelled them so now I have dried beans for planting later on, but this left me with quite a ...
Haedrian's user avatar
  • 359
2 votes
0 answers
45 views

I am considering mulch for my orchard but i worry about fire?

I am considering some types of mulch for my orchard but I am really worried about fire. We have about three month(summer) without any rainfall and humidity is about 20-30%. For example if I use hay ...
Mehdi Azizi's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
342 views

Anyone here using wood mulch for their succulents?

I've been wanting to create a succulent garden and I've been doing alot of info gathering on how to provide the best care/environment for such plants. Everything was going fine untill mulching became ...
Hamid Sabir's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
56 views

Should I mulch after turning in a cover crop? In a raised bed

I planted a cover cropping mix (clover mix) and recently turned it into the soil so that it can decompose in 3-6 weeks. First I cut the green parts of the cover crop into the soil and then used a hoe ...
fnwovnwownf's user avatar
0 votes
3 answers
3k views

Wood chips instead of rock mulch for a cactus garden

I live in a Mediterranean climate. My soil is light in clay, so it is somewhat sandy. Still, when it's low in organic matter it hardens when dry, since it has some clay in it. The said area has: ...
Christmas Snow's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
61 views

Does the type of mulch you use matter depending on where you are or the type of climate you have?

I plan on using mulch for the first time starting next year so I've been looking up you tube videos regarding the topic to get me started. So far, wood chips is what tops the list of all the people ...
Hamid Sabir's user avatar
2 votes
4 answers
4k views

Is it better to rake leaves into woods? Or bag them and haul them away?

Our home has 1-2 acres of community-owned forest adjacent to our property's backyard. We have wondered whether we should rake our leaves into the woods? Or is it best to bag and haul them away? In ...
Doug T.'s user avatar
  • 771
1 vote
0 answers
89 views

Using mulch over cyclamen bulbs

I intend to plant cyclamen coum bulbs this fall. My plan is to lay hardware cloth over the bulbs to protect them from squirrels, and cover that with mulch. Cyclamen coum are very sensitive to planting ...
jmill24's user avatar
  • 71
3 votes
1 answer
80 views

Fell trees, chip wood, make path?

I have a few trees that need to come down in my hard-to-access backyard. I know I can dispose of the rounds for firewood. But the brush is a different story: I hardly have a way of disposing of it. ...
Wynne's user avatar
  • 415
1 vote
3 answers
537 views

Cooked rice and peanut shells?

Some background: I’m a beginner gardener (and that’s being generous) with a rooftop and a balcony, so everything I grow, if it survives, is in planters and pots. But I know almost nothing about ...
rbhat's user avatar
  • 1,909
2 votes
1 answer
2k views

Are walnut tree chips suitable as mulch?

I had to cut a large number of branches from a walnut (its crown started mixing with electric wires). If those branches are chopped (by a machine), can resulting peaces be used as mulch (given juglone ...
Aleksandar M's user avatar
  • 1,958
0 votes
3 answers
355 views

Any advantages/disadvantages to adding pistachio and peanut shells to my barkchip mulch?

I have a small area in my backyard to which I'm starting to add barkchips for weed-avoidance and water retention. It contains newer small trees and bushes. My question is whether adding generous ...
Anne's user avatar
  • 183
2 votes
0 answers
466 views

How to use hazelnut shells in the garden

I eat a lot of raw hazelnuts (I love them!) I have been trying to use the cracked shells in the garden for years. Here is a list some of my attempts: Composting them. This wasn't very effective, as ...
usumdelphini's user avatar
  • 1,432
2 votes
0 answers
16 views

Manually dying mulch

I have a pretty big yard with a lot of old trees, as a result I own a wood chipper and produce a fairly hefty volume of mulch (several yards a year). I use the mulch in my gardens but for the ...
PGmath's user avatar
  • 142
1 vote
2 answers
216 views

Mulch/compost over partially exposed roots

Location is Portland, Oregon. TL;DR I want to plant shrubs and shade tolerant ornamentals under trees in one corner of my lot. The soil is clayey and very compacted, and due to long-term slow erosion ...
Jim Garrison's user avatar