How to Mulch a Garden With Wood Chips

Vegetable and flower gardens need the right season, soil and care, but also require protection after planting if they're to thrive. Mulching is one of the best ways to protect garden plants throughout both growing and dormant seasons. This process helps to keep soil either cool or warm, depending on the season, and maintains soil moisture. A healthy mulch layer also keeps weeds and diseases down in the garden. When you use organic mulch like wood chips, prepare the soil in advance, lay out the right amount and then renew it as it breaks down.

Garden fork or rake
Nitrogen fertilizer

Instructions

- 1
  Apply nitrogen fertilizer like 2-1-1 or 10-5-5 to the soil before you apply mulch, per manufacturer directions. Wood chips pull nitrogen from the soil as they decompose and take away the soil's nutrients. Fertilizing beforehand maintains a good balance for the plants.
- 2
  Pour wood chips over the soil and spread them to produce a 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch. Maintain several inches of space between plant stems or tree trunks and the mulch layer.
- 3
  Build the layer up as it breaks down. Small wood chips break down more quickly than large ones, but all organic matter breaks down over time to enter the soil. Add new mulch every three to four months to maintain your layer of protection.
- 4
  Increase the mulch layer to 5 to 6 inches or more in fall, depending on your growing zone and the plants in question. The deeper mulch layer protects the plants through winter's cold temperatures.

Temperature for Worm Composting

Can I Make Organic Fertilizer?

Green & Organic