Choose The Best Mulch For Winter Flower Beds With These Tips

Winter is often an anxious time for flower lovers and amateur home gardeners. You are on tenterhooks, wondering if your favorite lilies and lilacs, daisies and daffodils, will come out unscathed. Some flowers brave the cold season remarkably well, like snapdragons. Others will say, "So long for now," like zinnias. Of course, knowing your USDA Hardiness Zone is a crucial survival hack that can save you from low-key panic attacks. The system helps gardeners pick the plants that are most likely to pull through winter and, hence, is an invaluable plant selection tool. Still, you can protect your flowers with some simple steps if faced with the paralyzing uncertainty of winter. You can reduce your watering schedule, bring your tender container plants indoors, or change the time of day you water your plants (it's advisable to water in the morning during winter). You can also find safety in one of humanity's oldest agricultural hacks — mulching.

Yet, there's a way to mulch your flower beds in winter — and a way not to. For example, you'll not want to mulch too early in autumn because this traps heat in the soil and causes roots to remain active when they should be readying for dormancy. The trick, therefore, is to apply mulch in late fall, typically November, depending on how the season plays out in your location. Above all, organic mulch is the best for winter flower beds.

Organic mulch will not only protect your plants, but it will also add nutrients to the soil, especially as it breaks down and decomposes. The result is that your flowers will spring up with more vim and vigor. Plus, a good mulch should allow the inflow of water and air, qualities that organic mulches possess. Organic mulches create tiny air spaces, which often mitigate against the drastic drop in soil temperatures and, hence, serve as insulators. The trick is not to mix your mulch into the soil, including wood chips — because this can tie up considerable amounts of nitrogen. Of course, keep a safe distance from fresh organic mulches that have not been composted.

So, how should you apply organic mulch? Create a protective layer around your perennials, about 2 to 4 inches above the ground. Also, don't apply organic mulch right up to the base of your flowers. Instead, keep a small but noticeable mulch-free zone, about 3 inches around the plant stem. This practice is known to reduce pest problems and can help you avoid the grief of pest infestation. Otherwise, you have several options to work with, including shredded leaves, pine needles, and straw.