How to Care for Cedar Mulch

Spreading mulch in your garden area provides variety of benefits for the smart gardener. Among mulches, cedar perhaps offers the best benefits, including natural insect repellent. Regrettably, there are a small number of issues that the cedar mulch user must contend with to keep their gardens and mulch healthy. By following a few guidelines for cedar mulch care, you can keep your mulched area looking it's best.

Things You'll Need

• Tiller
• Rake

Instructions

1. Clear the area to be mulched of other unwanted materials. While cedar and other mulches, will inhibit weed growth, it is best to minimize potential for growth by removing present specimens. Pull or dig weeds out of the area with you hands and compost them .Remove sticks, stones and other items that might break up the uniform look of a mulched areas.

2. Use a cedar mulch of proper fineness or combinations of fineness. Like most mulches, cedar mulch is available in different forms, including chips, shreds and blocks. Lay a layer of larger chips and smaller blocks onto the soil. These larger pieces will help to insure aeration and drainage. If desired, use finer cuts of mulch for the top layer.

3. Use mulch on well-draining soil. Standing water can cause the cedar mulch to decay more rapidly. Use a tiller to aerate soil prior to installing cedar mulch. Avoid using fine cuts of mulch on the bottom layer, as weight compression can make it difficult for water to permeate the mulch layer and drain away.

4. Rake the cedar mulch periodically. As cedar mulch lay exposed to sunlight and other conditions, the aromatic oils and coloration will dull. Use a rake or even just your hands to mix and turn cedar mulch to expose fresher, more aromatic and colored sides of the mulch pieces.

5. Replace mulch when necessary. Once the mulch begins to fall apart, loses its distinctive smell, or color, replace the mulch to maintain benefits. Remove as much mulch as possible from area, but you do not have to be completely thorough. Remaining mulch will decay and fertilize the soil. Re-mulch the areas just as you mulched them in the first place.

Tips & Warnings

• Choose a color of cedar to compliment your garden. Cedar mulches often come in several colors options.

• Avoid using cedar mulch around flowers that are highly susceptible to acid soils. Some growers contend cedar will slightly increase soil pH.

References

• Mulching Techniques

Resources

• Mulching Benefits