Fall and Spring are the best times to re-dress your beds with fresh mulch. Over the course of the season the mulch will decompose from water (rainfall or sprinklers) and heat (summer months). This is normal as you want the wood in the mulch to break down and add organic matter to the soil to feed the microbes. First, you will need to prepare your beds by removing the weeds that have sprouted (be sure not to pull nutsedge from the ground, you will need to carefully treat that with a selective herbicide). Next rough up any compacted mulch to allow the existing and new mulch to work together. Once the beds are clean and prepped it is time to bring in the mulch. All mulches basically do the same thing, regulate soil temperature, retain moisture in the soil, and help suppress weed growth. It boils down to what you want to see in your beds over the next six months. Some companies will offer a “living mulch” which is a blend of compost and mulch that over time will help to enrich the soil. When applying the mulch to your beds you will need to add a 2”-4” layer. Be sure not to put the mulch directly up against any tree trunks. Keep the mulch 3” away from the trunk and mulch no more than 4” thick around the drip line for newly planted trees.
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