With spring practically here, you may be looking for new ways to upgrade your lawn or landscaping. One great way to do this is to put down mulch. A collection of organic material, typically made from tree bark, wood chips, pine straw, moss, grass clippings, or leaves, mulch is a great way to frame your shrubs, add texture to your garden, or even make your mailbox look better. Mulch also provides plant protection, keeping water in the dirt and covering root zones. At Purple Care, we are proud to provide professional mulch services, and proudly offer a range of natural mulch options, including cedar, hardwood premium, and cypress. Keep reading to learn how to properly use mulch in your yard, and remember that this spring, for all your lawn care and landscaping needs, you can always trust our experts at Purple Care.

When Applying Mulch, Make Sure to Follow These Steps

  • Begin by edging off the area you want to mulch, preventing the mulch you are putting down from spilling onto the surrounding grass. One way to do this that may also be aesthetically pleasing is by creating a barrier using stoners or bricks.
  • If you have any old mulch in your yard or garden, remove it using a wheelbarrow.
  • Get rid of mulch by adding it to your compost pile—as with all organic material, it should always be separated from the rest of your trash.
  • Put your new mulch in a wheelbarrow, thereby making it easier to transport and handle.
  • Using your gloved hands or a shovel, dispense one small mound of mulch at a time to the area you are working in.
  • Do not dump big piles of mulch down at the same time, as this could make the area uneven and result in too much mulch ending up in one particular area, where it is not supposed to be. Putting down too much mulch may damage and suffocate smaller plant and shrub roots, so it is critical not to use an excessive amount.
  • Make sure your mulch is put down at a depth of two to four inches—this will ensure the amount of mulch you have is not too much, and not too little, but just right.
  • Try to leave an inch between your layer of mulch and any tree and plant trunks, so your root systems still have enough space to circulate air and water. Failing to do this could interfere with the growth of your existing plants.
  • Smooth out your newly mulched surface with a rake or by wearing gloves, making sure the area is as level as possible.
  • For extra weed control, consider putting down a layer of plastic mulch or fabric landscaping.
  • After your mulch has been put down, water this area lightly in the first 24-48 hours. Too much water is not good for your mulch or the shrubs/plant/flowers it is surrounding, so be sure to be discerning.

For more mulching and general landscaping tips, call Purple Care now at (817) 880-6052, or simply click here to send us a message online.