Garden

Create Year-round Mulch

This fabulous mulch mixture will nourish your plants 365 days of the year

By Bruce MacDonald /

Credit: Seishin17

Garden Mulch Mixtures

A good batch of mulch can do wonders for your garden

Q: Can you suggest a mulch mixture to provide my plants with year-round nourishment?

Mulching or adding a mixed medium around the base of the plant is an amazing way to assist your garden in becoming the best it can be.

Spread mulch 10 cm (2 in.) over the root system of your plants and trees out to the dripline on an annual basis.

Leave 30 cm (1 ft.) between mulch and tree trunks, as mulching too closely can create a habitat for rodents that chew bark and girdle trees.

I recommend the following mulch topping that can be placed around the base of plants once a year, usually in spring. Mix together thoroughly:

  • 28 L (1 cu. ft.) mushroom manure
  • 28 L (1 cu. ft.) peat moss or coir
  • 28 L (1 cu. ft.) topsoil
  • 500 mL (2 cups) slow-release lawn fertilizer containing iron

Originally published in BC Home & Garden magazine. For regular updates, subscribe to our free Home and Garden e-newsletters, or purchase a subscription to the magazine.