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Step 1
Buy mulch from your local garden store, or you can make it at home by mixing dry leaves, grass clippings and organic compost from your kitchen. Some garden stores sell dyed mulch if you want a more sophisticated looking ground cover.
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Step 2
Remove weeds before you add any mulch. Use your hands to dig weeds out rather than using a hoe or a garden fork. You don't want to weed so deep that you accidentally grab and remove part of the root system.
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Step 3
Deadhead any flowers or flowering plants. Pinch dead flowers between your fingers or use a pair of garden shears to cut them. Cut the stems back to 3 to 5 inches if they're overgrown.
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Step 4
Water the ground before you add mulch to the area. This step is especially important if you live in cold areas where the ground tends to freeze during the winter months. You'll want to get one last good watering in before the ground freezes.
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Step 5
Spread mulch around the garden area, making sure to leave about 1 inch of room around the plant stems. Spread 2 to 4 inches of mulch over the area. Keep in mind that thicker mulch keeps weeds out, while thinner mulch absorbs nutrients into the ground faster.
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Step 6
Add more mulch to the area after it decomposes. You don't need to remove the old mulch, just spread the new mulch right over the top. Switch mulch materials if you want to introduce new nutrients into the soil.
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Step 7
Remove mulch as winter turns to spring so the sun can reach down to the roots of your flowers. You can keep a thin layer of mulch on the surface, but don't suffocate flowers during their peak growth cycle.
