The weather is starting to turn cold and your flowers are starting to wilt and die. Just because your landscaping beds don’t need the daily and weekly care they require during the growing season doesn’t mean you can ignore these beds until spring. New Hope Aquascapes and Landscaping recommends that you take some time this fall to mulch your landscaping beds in Johnson City.
Here’s why mulch is important.
When you apply mulch, you’re providing additional protection for your soil before the long, cold winter to come. Your Jonesborough landscaping professionals recommend putting down mulch in an even layer that is 2-3 inches deep. Mulch also should be applied after planting in your landscape beds. A good mulch protects the roots of your plants from weather extremes. It also serves as a safeguard against topsoil erosion. Some erosion is inevitable, but hard rains accelerate the process, especially if your landscape bed is on a slope. Once your topsoil is gone, the remaining soil is often too hard or rocky for plant roots to penetrate, making it much more difficult for your plants to thrive.
Mulching in the fall insulates the root networks of your plants prior to the cold weather of winter. It allows more moisture to remain in the ground as well, where it remains accessible to hydrate and nourish your plants’ roots. Mulch also helps decrease the number of weeds you have to deal with and enriches your soil.
Here’s how to get your garden beds ready for the fall.
Remove any weeds and old plants, using the plants as compost material—assuming that the plant debris doesn’t show any evident symptoms of a disease. Make sure weeds are completely removed, as any remaining weeds or seedlings will come back with a vengeance when the weather gets warm again. Using a spade or edging tool, cut back any weeds and grass that are infiltrating the edges of your garden bed. If you already have mulch in your beds, it likely has become compacted after a full growing season of sun, rain, and any foot traffic from animals. Use a spading fork to break up and aerate this older layer of mulch; this will allow more oxygen and nutrients to reach the root system of your plants. Next, apply a new layer of mulch about 2 to 3 inches thick. If you also mow your own yard, a layer of wood chips placed around the base of a raised bed will make mowing and weedeating much easier.
Fall landscaping in Jonesborough
The fall season is a time of transition and the cooler weather feels welcome after a long, hot summer. Making sure your garden is ready for winter requires a lot of work. Why not trust the job to the professionals at New Hope Aquascapes and Landscaping? Mulching is just one of the services we offer in our program of maintenance. We also are offering payment plans for 2020 to our existing landscape maintenance customers, providing year-round services and care in a series of equal monthly payments. Maybe you want to do the job yourself? No problem! Our delivery service can bring the mulch straight to you, saving you time and money. To find out more about New Hope Aquascapes, reach us to schedule a free consultation at (833) LAWN-411, (423) 367-1214 or contact us online. We’re proud to serve our clients in Kingsport, Jonesborough, Johnson City, or anywhere in the Tri-Cities area of Tennessee.
