Fall Mulching
Fall is a busy time for gardeners. It’s time to start clearing out flower beds for Fall plantings or even for spring if you'd like to get ahead of the game. The process is relatively simple. Remove all dead annuals, tree and shrub and leaves. Leaves and annuals can be added to a compost heap if you have one. Branches would need to be chipped up before being added to a compost heap. Be careful to only remove dead branches. If you prune living branches and limbs this time of year, you could promote new growth which will be killed off in the colder weather.
When preparing beds for Fall planting, give your plants a good soil base by adding a soil conditioner. This will help with drainage so your plants “feet” are not sitting in water. Norfleet SuperFine Soil conditioner can be lightly tilled into your existing soil if the plants your need a neutral soil ph. If your plants are more acid loving, then Virginia Fine Special Blend would the better option.
Mulching your beds in the Fall is very important to protect your plants roots during the Winter months. We recommend 2-3 inches of mulch. Too much mulch is just as bad as not enough. More than 3 inches of mulch can suffocate your plants roots.