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Mitch's Mowing & Landscaping guide

When to Mulch Garden Beds in Melbourne's West

Most garden beds in Melbourne's west want mulching once a year, and the best time is heading into summer so it is down before the heat. Mulch does more for a bed than almost any other job. Here is when to do it, how to prepare the bed and how to tell when it is time to top up in places like Deer Park, Taylors Lakes and Derrimut.

Why mulch does most of the work

A good layer of mulch holds water in the soil through a western suburbs summer. It keeps the soil temperature steadier and it stops most weed seed from ever getting light. Beds that are mulched properly need a fraction of the weeding and a fraction of the watering.

If you only do one thing to a garden bed in a year, make it this.

The best time of year

We top beds up once a year, usually heading into summer. Spring into early summer suits because the mulch is down before the hot weather arrives, and the moisture it holds in is there when the plants need it most.

Some beds benefit from a second look after winter. If the mulch has broken down into soil, or the bed has gone patchy, bring the job forward. The sign to look for is simple. If the mulch has turned into soil, it is time.

Prepare the bed first

Weeding a bed and not mulching it is half a job, and mulching a bed full of weeds is the same mistake in reverse. Mulch goes on after the weeds are out, because the mulch is what stops the next generation from germinating. Taprooted weeds should come out with the root, and runners like couch and kikuyu should be traced back and lifted, or they will push straight through.

While the bed is open, prune out dead wood and anything crossing or hanging over a path. It is much easier to do before the mulch goes down than after.

Depth and keeping it off the stems

Mulch has to be deep enough to matter. A thin dusting does not shade the soil or block weed seed, so it is wasted effort. Lay enough to cover the soil completely, then keep it clear of the stems of your plants. Mulch piled against a stem holds moisture against the bark and the plant can rot at the collar.

Edging helps the whole thing last. Treated pine, steel or concrete edging keeps the mulch where you put it instead of washing onto the lawn or the path. We install garden bed edging as part of our landscaping work if your beds do not have it.

Heavy clay and replanting

Soil in a lot of streets out this way is heavy clay. Plants sulk in it because the roots sit wet. When we replant a bed, we turn compost and gypsum through the soil first. It is the step most people skip because the plant looks fine on the day it goes in, and it makes a real difference over the following months.

Mulch then goes on top. In Kealba, Kings Park and Delahey, where clay soil is common, that combination does a lot to help beds settle in and cope with summer.

Getting it done

Mulching a whole garden is a heavy, repetitive job, and it is the one most people put off. Our garden care service covers weeding, pruning, soil improvement and mulching in one visit, and a lot of customers have us through two or three times a year for seasonal tidy-ups instead of a regular run.

Old mulch, weeds and prunings go in the trailer and leave with us, so there is no pile left behind. Call us on 0406 740 655 and we will come out and quote the job.

More on this service: Mitch's Mowing & Landscaping service page.

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