(Backyard Gardener - Photo Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

Hello Mid-Ohio Valley farmers and gardeners! It seems we have skipped early spring weather and have moved right into summer with temperatures in the mid-80s. We have received plenty of moisture in the past two weeks. Livestock farmers should be happy as the grass growth has taken off and soon we will be making first cutting hay.

Good weather for grass growth also means trying to keep up with mowing the lawn, not to mention weed eating and trimming chores.

I want to invite everyone to the annual Wood County Master Gardener Spring Seminar and plant sale Thursday, April 25, at 6 p.m. The plant sale starts at 5 p.m. We have a great lineup of speakers, awesome door prizes, and we have a silent auction for three big items including a fruit tree.

Julie Witten from Witten Farms will be talking about “Container and Small Space Gardening” and Eric Barrett from Ohio State Extension will teach everyone about “Selecting the Perfect Hydrangea.” Finally, I will be providing some homeowner choices for “Ornamental Trees to Replace the Bradford Pear.”

This week I want to talk about springtime mulching around the home landscape. Mulching is a chore that most of us do not look forward to, but this hard work will pay off later on in the summer. It provides a number of benefits to plants and the soil. Let’s get started.

Mulch in the landscape has many advantages. Two main ones are helping to conserve and maintain soil moisture and suppressing weeds. In early spring dark colored mulch will aid to warm the soil, which promotes earlier plant growth.

I often get the question “Where does all my mulch go and why do we have to reapply every year?” If you have a good healthy living soil it is filled with microorganisms that will break down the mulch. As organic mulches decompose they add nutrients and humus back to the soil, improving its tilth and moisture-holding capacity.

In addition, mulch helps to delay soil freezing and prevent frost heaving. It can also protect plants and roots from damage by equipment such as mowers and weedeaters and minimize compaction from traffic. Mulch reduces soil erosion by slowing runoff from heavy rains and allowing moisture to soak into the ground.

A neatly mulched yard also looks better. Mulch can enhance garden and landscape appearance and makes maintenance easier.

Using mulch in the garden is also a great idea. Mulches reduce weed growth by making conditions unfavorable for germination of weed seeds and by providing a physical barrier for emerging weeds. A good mulch layer can save many hours of weeding.

Mulches are very useful for maintaining uniform moisture conditions in the garden. Water loss through evaporation is decreased, and soil erosion is decreased as the impact of a heavy rainfall is reduced by the layer of mulch. This allows a slow, steady water infiltration.

Mulch also reduces splashing of soil on vegetables, leaving fruits cleaner and helping to prevent the spread of disease. Organic mulches can help keep soil temperatures cooler in the heat of summer.

Basically, there are two types of mulch. This includes organic mulches and inorganic mulches. First, let’s talk about organic mulches. This includes bark, wood chips, sawdust, pine straw, and lawn clippings.

Shredded bark mulches are the most common type readily available in bags or bulk. They are typically made from pine or hardwood trees in our area. Bark mulches provide organic matter to the soil and offer an aesthetically pleasing effect when applied properly.

Wood chips can be utilized as an organic mulch, but sizes greater than three inches are recommended. This prevents the chips from compacting and forming a very dense layer.

Sawdust mulches are readily available and make a nice mulch but be cautious. Sawdust can cause plants to appear light green to yellow colors and slow growth due to nitrogen deficiency. It may also compact and form a mat that needs to be broken up to let water and air to the root zone of plants.

Lawn clippings can be used as a mulch, but I recommend leaving clippings whenever possible to recycle nutrients. Excessive grass growth in spring can result in huge clumps of grass in the yard. Add them to the compost pile (I will get to composting next week).

Leaves can be used for a natural appearing mulch. Just make sure they are shredded and dried before use. Leaves that are not rotted can form heavy mats and cause issues with water and air infiltration.

Pine straw can be a useful mulch, especially around acid-loving plants such as azaleas, rhododendron, blueberries and evergreens. Pine straw needles do not compact, and they help to add a natural look to garden areas.

In the garden we can also use shredded newspaper or straw. A 6-8 inch layer provides good annual weed control. These materials decompose quickly and must be replenished to keep down weeds. They stay in place and will improve the soil as they decay.

Inorganic or permanent mulches include gravel, brick chips, and crushed stone. They are usually applied one time, often over a fabric layer. They can make attractive mulch but have limited ability to conserve moisture and do not add any organic matter to soils.

Mulches should be applied 2 to 4 inches deep. Apply mulches at planting time, and then annually as needed. Weeds should be removed and the area leveled before application and edging the area will keep your mulch where it is supposed to be.

When mulching trees, cover the area from near the trunk to the drip line or at least 2-3 feet out whenever possible. Mulch should not be in contact with tree trunks. Avoid creating the mulch volcano by not piling up mulch against trees.

When mulch is piled against the stems of plants or the trunks of trees, it keeps this tissue too wet, and sets up an environment for insects and diseases to move into the stem or trunk of the covered plant.

Mulching in a small circle around the base of the tree will help to protect it from damage, but to give your plants the maximum benefit from mulching, mulch should extend to the drip line of the plant or tree. This covers a large percentage of the roots and helps to conserve moisture, minimize competition from grass, and can offer protection from compaction and damage.

Be sure to remove weeds prior to mulching and during the season. Many weed control options exist including mechanical weed control (hand pulling or with hoe), pre-emergent weed control products that prevent weed seed germination, and post emergent herbicides applied to remove weeds from mulch bed areas.

Be kind to your plants this spring and apply a nice layer of mulch. Contact me at the Wood County WVU Extension Office 304-424-1960 or e-mail me at jj.barrett@mail.wvu.edu with questions. Until next time, Good Luck and Happy Gardening!