How to Install Mulch When Edging a Bed

Installing mulch is an inexpensive way to increase the attractiveness of a landscape, and protect delicate plant roots from temperature extremes and dry conditions. However, there is more to installing mulch than simply spreading it out on the ground. One of the most important steps is edging the bed, which cuts through the roots of nearby grass and stops it from invading the mulch. Any time you install new mulch, you must also edge the flower bed.

Wide toothed rake
Mulch fork (optional)
Wheel barrow
String
Edger tool
Mulch

Instructions

- 1
  Wait until a day when the soil is dry.
- 2
  Rake up any existing mulch with a wide-toothed rake, being careful not to rake up the underlying soil. Use a special mulch fork to scoop the material up into a wheelbarrow and transport it to the compost area.
- 3
  Walk to the end of the bed where the border is. If you are starting a new bed and the border is not yet defined, lay a piece of string on the ground to mark the border.
- 4
  Insert a manual edging tool into the ground parallel to the string. Step down on the top of the edger until the half-moon shaped blade is completely in the soil. Lean the handle back at a 45-degree angle and scoop up the soil from the ground. Place it into the wheelbarrow for removal since it contains weed seeds and grass.
- 5
  Repeat the procedure using the string as the marker to edge the entire bed.
- 6
  Cut open the bagged mulch or use the wheelbarrow to transport bulk mulch to the bed. Dump the mulch into the bed in large piles and use a bow rake to smooth it out to an even 1-inch layer for older plants, and 2 to 3 inches for young plantings. Do not allow the mulch to touch the stems of plants since this can rot them.

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