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Natural mulch wears away, but it helps plants and soil

Jessica Damiano | Garden Detective

March 27, 2008

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We had our beds filled with mulch when we landscaped several years ago. The gardener says we now must put more mulch down at a great cost. Is it necessary? - S. Freese, East Meadow

I'm not sure what kind of mulch you have, but I'm assuming it's a natural product, such as bark mulch, which typically is laid down twice a year. So yeah, you're overdue. But it's the "great cost" part that concerns me.

If you have many large beds, it certainly can add up, but I want to be sure you aren't getting ripped off. Right now, the going rate in my neighborhood is $19 a cubic yard, plus a delivery fee. There will be some price variation between the different color mulches, with dyed ones more expensive, and depending on where you live and where you purchase it.

Natural mulches get blown away, dug up by squirrels and eventually decompose, enriching the soil. If it's been several years since you applied any, you probably need to start from scratch.

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Mulch should be applied in late fall to protect roots and plants from heaving out of the ground during winter's freeze-thaw cycles and again in midspring to suppress weeds, warm the soil and retain moisture.

BOOK REVIEW

"The Veggie Gardener's Answer Book: Solutions to every problem you'll ever face; Answers to every question you'll ever ask"

(Storey Publishing, $14.95): This little book by Barbara W. Ellis seems to have a Napoleon complex - tiny in size with such a boastful title - so I was skeptical of its claims. The guide opens with a Q&A section that addresses soil, general crop care and organic pest and disease control. Then, from artichokes to zucchini, details on sowing, caring for, watering, harvesting and troubleshooting problems are provided. In the end, Ellis' self-assured claims passed my test: Her book answered the one question whose answer has eluded me (and lots of my gardening colleagues) for a long time. A healthy-looking tomato that is rotted inside, I've learned, is suffering from blossom end rot, even though its end isn't rotted. Who knew?