When should apply mulch?

Serious gardeners will tell you that the best time to apply your organic mulch is twice a year, at the end of Autumn and at the beginning of Summer. A late Autumn mulch will provide a ‘blanket’ to keep the soil warm over the cold winter period.  Mulching at this time also helps suppress the winter and spring weeds and provides organic matter which can break down ready to feed your plants in springtime. The second mulch time is to top up your mulch to 8 - 10cm deep at the end of Spring before the searing heat of summer.  This is a particularly important time to mulch to keep the moisture in the soil and to keep the soil cool, to maintain weed control and to provide the best insurance for keeping your garden thriving over summer. You can mulch more or less often than this depending on your soil, climate, weeds, the look you want for your garden and the type of mulch you are using.  Course mulch takes longer to break down than fine mulch.