Keep Mulch in Place

Mulching is part of many gardeners’ yearly maintenance routine. Keep the mulch in the garden and off the surrounding lawn and walks with one of these techniques.

Some gardeners use edging materials to create a physical barrier, preventing mulch from spilling onto the surrounding sidewalk and lawn.

Another option is to taper the edge of the garden bed, so it is lower than the surrounding area. Once the mulch is applied, it too needs to be lower than the surrounding grass or walk to stay in place.

Digging a V-shaped trench around your garden beds and filling it with mulch provides some additional benefits. The trench helps slow the infiltration of weeds and grass into the garden bed. Since the mulch filled trench is even with the surrounding surface it keeps the mulch in place and allows you to easily mow around the garden bed. No hand trimming needed.

A bit more information: The depth of mulch is based on the size of the mulch material used. The finer the material, the thinner the layer of mulch. Smaller chips, leaves and evergreen needles should be applied in 1 to 2” layers. Larger chips can be applied 3” but no more than 4” thick. Use thinner layers of mulch on heavy clay soil that tends to retain moisture.