Autumn Rubber Mulch Garden Tips

October 02, 2019

The fall has arrived! Your garden will soon exchange its palette of bright greens and a riot of colored blooms to that of oranges, russet browns, golds, and other autumn shades. But beyond the aesthetic layers of autumn, there will also be some changes in your garden that need to be addressed - such as proper mulching. 

If you haven’t already discovered the importance of mulching during autumn, now is the time to do so. Read on to see how rubber mulch can prepare your garden for the bitter cold of the long winter season, and how fall is the best time to do so.

When is the best time to add mulch?

The answer depends on what kind of plants you have in your garden. Generally, though, autumn mulching should be done before actual frost sets in. Otherwise, you could risk doing severe damage to your garden and might even have to start over in certain areas.

If you intend to plant bulbs like tulips, crocuses, and daffodils so you can have bright blooms by springtime, it’s best to do so during the early autumn days. This will give them ample time to grow strong roots before they take their wintertime slumber. To make sure bulb plants get the dramatic springtime appearance they deserve, add a judicious layer of rubber mulch to protect them from moisture loss and the shock of suddenly changing temperatures.

Rose bushes, on the other hand, require mulching much later in the fall season and way into winter. Many experienced gardeners will wait until the first hints of a hard frost before doing so. Their reason is that rose bushes can remain dormant for much longer if mulched too early, and yield inferior blooms (if at all!) as a result.

What could happen if I don’t mulch in autumn?

Young roots can get frozen after a frosty day, or dry out completely after an arid spell. Rubber mulch can help prevent tender roots from the shock of fluctuating temperatures by insulating them from too much moisture or heat. 

It’s also good to remember that even when most plants become dormant during the winter season, weeds won’t. They will keep germinating without hibernating, and without rubber mulch, they could continue to wreak havoc on your plants over winter.  So it’s best to protect them with proper fall mulching to make sure your garden is weed-free while the weather becomes steadily colder.

 

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