Mulch is a common gardening and landscaping resource designed to help your soil retain moisture, prevent the growth of weeds, keep plants cooler, regulate frost in winter, and make gardens more visually appealing. Building soil, reducing the frequency with which you need to water, and keeping weeds at bay are beneficial from the first days of spring to the last days of autumn. There is one thing, though, that makes mulching arguably more important in fall than it is in any other season: its ability to protect against cold weather.
Some plants of the perennial classification can do just fine without any additional help in certain
climates. They can use the snow as an insulator against the freezing surroundings. The problem arises with the unpredictability of the weather and the inability to control when snow will or won’t fall. Since there’s no way to guarantee consistent snowfall, there’s also no way to ensure that it will be consistent enough to provide that protective layer to your plants, which they’ll suffer without.
When should you mulch?
By mulching your landscape in fall, you can prepare it against the harsh winter weather without hoping for the right conditions to occur naturally. Mulch can prevent frost from penetrating the ground and seeping into the soil, allowing it to ruin your plants’ root systems.
However, it’s crucial to get the timing right if you’re mulching to prepare your landscaping against the harshness of winter. Mulching too soon won’t allow the soil and roots to stabilize at the low temperature they need to freeze without taking damage. Freezing temperatures are necessary to make plants go dormant and prepare for winter.
Waiting too long and mulching your landscape too late, on the other hand, will allow your soil and roots to be overexposed to cold temperatures and/or reach temperatures lower than they are equipped to survive. To keep the soil and root systems from getting too cold while also allowing them to freeze, it’s best to mulch your landscaping just after the first hard frost.
What Kind of Mulch is Best in Fall?
When mulching your lawn in fall to prepare for the harsh coldness of winter, you have a few options regarding which kind of mulch you want to use. One of the most common kinds that people use is straw. It may not be the most visually appealing, but it tends to be cheap and effective. Straw does not smother the roots, as it allows airflow while still regulating temperature
exposure. Clean straw can also combat weed growth.
Other options include shredded bark, evergreen boughs, and bark chips. Any breathable, coarse, organic type of mulch will do.
For the best and healthiest lawns and most attractive landscapes, call Victory Lawn! We have services, scheduling, and pricing to fit any need or budget.