Mulch with leaf mould or garden compost in spring (optional)

Mulch with leaf mould or garden compost in early spring (late February to early March).

Mulching helps control weeds. Weeds compete with your plants by taking moisture, nutrients and sunlight - this can encourage plants to grow too tall to avoid the competition. Weeds also harbour pests and diseases that can affect plants around them too.

Mulch also helps conserve moisture (from 10 to 25 percent reduction) in soil that would otherwise evaporate. Mulches can also help keep the soil well aerated, as well as reduce water runoff, soil erosion and the likelihood of soil-borne diseases. Finally mulches help maintain a more uniform soil temperature (warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer) and promote the growth of soil microorganisms and earth worms.

Mulch can be applied any time of the year. However, the best time to mulch is late spring after the soil has warmed. Applying too early in the spring will delay soil warming and possibly plant growth.

Some of the best organic materials include pine bark and compost. Other organic materials that are sometimes used as mulch include wheat straw, wood chips, sawdust, and partially decomposed leaves. (Note: bark mulches usually last longer and break down slower than wood chippings)

Properly composted wood chips can be used as a long lasting mulch that weathers to a silver-grey color. Unfortunately, most wood chip material is sold as a fresh material rather than as a composted or aged material and as the chips decompose, microorganisms use nutrients from the soil that might otherwise be available for plant growth.

It is not necessary to remove the mulch when you fertilize. Apply the fertilizer right on top the mulch and the nutrients seep down to the roots below.

Tip: fertilisers will list N (Nitrogen) for shoots, P (Phosphorous) for roots, and K (Potassium) for flowers and fruits. Avoid using too much N (Nitrogen) in early spring, as it will encourage new soft growth which is frost-prone. Low Nitrogen fertilisers are recommended until after all risk of frost has past.