We're wrapping up our gifts to place under the tree, mince pies are being consumed and the port is ready to be unleashed but what about the garden to do list? Are your pots ready for Christmas? We covered lots of Winter protection tips in an earlier article (Find it here) but today we're taking a deeper dive into the art of mulching.
Mulching your pots over Winter will help protect your plants from the elements, even the hardy ones needs a little tucking in over Christmas.
It is best to apply mulch after the first hard frost but your potted plants certainly won't say no to that added blanket of mulch. Let's go through how to give your pots a wonderful warming gift this Christmas.
First, what is mulch?
Mulch is a protective layer of organic or inorganic material spread on top of the soil.
Why should I mulch?
Mulching your pots has many benefits including:
Temperature moderation - Mulch to protect plants from extreme conditions. In Winter this will protect roots from hard frosts and snow.
Weed suppression - Mulch blocks sunlight which prevents weeds from germinating and growing
Erosion prevention - Adding a layer of mulch prevents soil erosion around plants which can expose their roots to infections
Nutrient Addition - The nutrients in your pot compost deplete over time as the plants take the nutrients they need. Adding a layer of compost or well rotted manure will add much needed nutrients back into the soil for your potted plants.
How much mulch should I add?
2-4 inches is a perfect amount to add.
Anything more can stop growth and any less won't have the desired affects
What can I use as mulch?
Organic material such as grass clippings, straw, bark chips, wood chips and leaves. You can even use crushed shell which works superbly as plant toppers for your spring bulbs. Bark chips are a fantastic mulch for trees, shrubs and established plants.
Inorganic includes, stones and brick chips.
We know a fair bit about compost and mulching but not as much as our friends at AHS Heart of Eden, and we were thrilled to speak to William Scott from Heart of Eden about sustainable mulching and a couple of the Heart of Eden products that can help you along the way.
“Mulching should be a part of every gardener’s routine and the material used is as important as the depth and frequency. Benefits include weed suppression, protection from drought or cold, visual impact and of course soil improvement.
A mulch layer wants to be at least 2”/50mm for best efficacy. For general maintenance every couple of months our Decorative Bark or Pine Bark Nuggets are ideal; if your aim is soil improvement alongside a neat look and single season protection then our Fine Composted Bark is better still. Our vineyard customers use a thick layer of our Soil Improver or Farmyard Manure underneath their vines which stops weeds, insulates the ground and slowly feeds nutrients into the soil beneath.
The All Purpose Compost looks good as a mulching layer and also gives you all the bonuses of weed suppression, soil improvement, and slow release nutrition. It will be readily incorporated into soil and so will need replenishment but every fresh treatment will improve drainage, break down clay and keep borders looking fresh and clean.”
So don't neglect your pots this Winter and give your perennials, shrubs and trees the gift of mulching.
