INDIANAPOLIS — Bulbs are blooming and perennials are once again emerging from Indiana flower beds, so Pat Sullivan from Sullivan Hardware and Garden offered reminders about the best mulch for those beds, and how thick you need to spread it.
"Mulch can be very beneficial," Sullivan said on 13Sunrise, "except when it's not."
Sullivan explained that "a couple inches of fine mulch" is about right for most applications, if done right. But too much mulch can damage the plant. "If it's coarser mulch, you can go a little deeper," he said.
"The finer the mulch, the thinner it should be laid," Sullivan explained.
A common mistake made by homeowners and landscapers alike is spreading mulch too close and too deep around tree trunks and plant stems.
Sullivan said to find "the flare" at the base of a tree and NOT put mulch against it, because the roots of the plant or tree will start to grow up, into the mulch.
Rather than buy and lug bags home from the garden center, many people are ordering mulch in bulk for delivery to their driveways and patios. But if they order too much, they feel they have put it somewhere, and often, Sullivan said, that extra mulch gets spread too high around trees and ultimately harms the trunk.
"The problem with bulk," according to Sullivan, "is you have to know how much to get."
Do the math before you order
Sullivan recommends spreading fine mulch at a 2-inch depth, which equates to covering 162 square feet if you order one cubic yard of mulch.
Bulk mulch is sold and delivered by the yard, which equates to 13.5 bags at the garden center.
Regular hardwood mulch is the most popular for bulk delivery. Large bark lasts longer.
Sullivan said triple-ground mulch is finer, but decomposes more quickly.
Sullivan prefers dyed mulch, which comes in a variety of colors. Some varities fade more quickly over time, but those can be sprayed with a vegetable-based dye to restore their color.
Before spreading mulch, Sullivan recommends shaking some granules of Preen to retard weed growth in your beds. Landscape paper will also serve that same purpose, but you will need to cut holes for any new plants you buy.
Watch Sullivan's full 13Sunrise segment in the video player.