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Photo Credit: ©Dolezal Publishing/Tim Butler

Put down your plastic barrier sheet before planting your annuals, then cut a hole for each plant.

Mulch isn’t only used for trees and shrubs – it’s a great material for your planting beds, too! Apply mulch around your newly planted annuals to limit weed growth, conserve water and help the soil retain warmth during times of unseasonably cool temperatures.

What type of mulch to use in your garden is completely up to you. Organic mulch (like wood chips, shredded wood, straw, etc.) is the best to use – it provides both good insulation and blocks sunlight from reaching the soil. And because it’s made of natural material, it organically breaks down and adds nice organic matter to your soil. Breathable mulch cloth and solid plastic sheeting also can be used as permanent mulch, though they block access to the soil beneath for cultivation purposes and don’t offer any soil nutrients because they don’t decompose into the earth.

Here are three methods for applying mulch around your annual bed:

If using a barrier plastic sheet or breathable mulch cloth: This material should be applied to the entire planting area prior to planting and should be held in place with stainless wire or plastic stakes (which are just poked through the material and into the ground). Annuals should then be planted through the material by cutting a hole for each plant in the plastic or cloth. Then completely cover your barrier sheet with a thin layer (1-2 inches) of any type of mulch you’d like to use, from gravel or rubber mulch to organic types.

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Organic compost makes a good mulch for established plantings and will break down into the soil.

If using organic mulch or compost: Organic compost, pulverized bark or peat make good mulches for your newly transplanted annuals or any established plantings you already have growing in your planting bed. These materials can typically be purchased in bags at the garden center. Simply apply a 1- to 2-inch layer of organic mulch around your plants after you’ve cultivated the soil around them.

If using weed-free straw: This material, which can be found in garden centers, is an ideal mulch for areas that experience short growing seasons marked by cool weather (areas of higher elevation, for example). Apply 3-4 inches of straw to insulate the soil, block sunlight and limit weed-seed germination. When renewing this type of mulch, remove the old straw first and compost it.

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Photo Credit: ©Dolezal Publishing/Tim Butler

Weed-free straw helps insulate the soil, block sunlight and limit weed-seed germination.

Remember, a healthy garden is a happy garden! Mulching around annuals not only gives planting beds a neat, attractive appearance, it helps slow down weed growth and, in some cases, adds to the soil. Do the work now so you can enjoy your garden to its fullest later!