Mulching provides several benefits for gardens. It retains moisture, repels moisture during heavy rains, controls weeds by insulating the soil, and keeps soil temperatures moderate. The article discusses how to calculate the amount of mulch needed for different garden bed sizes and shapes, such as a rectangular 20 by 10 foot bed requiring 200 square feet of weed barrier and 17 bags of mulch, or a circular 10 foot diameter bed needing 13 bags of mulch applied 4 inches thick. Effective garden preparation involves rototilling the soil, working in fertilizer or compost, clearing debris, and applying a 4 inch mulch layer or fabric weed barrier with 2 inches of mulch on top for weed control.

1. Number 12  Spring 2015
Besides preparing and paying
your taxes, what should you be
doing to prepare for spring?
One thing you can do is plan
your garden. To help you, we
have booklets covering a wide
variety of topics. Some of the
booklets include:
 Landscapes Gardening
 Pruning Made Simple
 Improving Garden Soils
 Beautiful Roses
 Beneficial Insects
 Growing Perennials
TO MULCH OR NOT TO MULCH?
By Rebecca MacGregor
Mulch can be any number of materials—from straw and leaves to bark,
peat moss and plastic film—which can be easily applied to protect the
soil surface.
Consider the benefits of mulching. Mulch retains moisture during hot,
dry summer months, and repels moisture during periods of heavy rain.
Mulching helps control weed growth in the soil between plants, and
keeps the soil surface cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter by
insulating it from the elements. Good organic mulch, such as cypress,
red cedar, cocoa shells, or western bark also looks and smells great.
Here are two examples:
1. You want to cover a rectangular area twenty feet by ten feet and
control the weeds. This will take 200 square feet of weed barrier
and 17 bags (2 cubic feet each) of mulch.
2. The area is circular with a diameter of ten feet. You will need 13
bags of mulch (applied 4 inches thick).
29 Butterfield Road– Peterborough, ON K9J 6M8
(705) 555-1062 – www.gardens.net
ON PLANTING
YOUR GARDEN
A three-step process is effective:
 First, prepare the soil by rototilling or spading, working in a good
fertilizer and/or compose such as peat moss or mushroom compost.
 Second, clear away the leaves, plant debris and litter from the soil
surface. Cultivate and rake smooth.
 Third, for affective week control either use a four inch layer of mulch
or a fabric week barrier covered by 2 inches of mulch.