September 30, 2020

Close up of a woman's hands adding mulch around a small plant.

Raking leaves and cutting back dead plants are always on the to-do list when preparing your lawn and landscape for Michigan’s long, cold winter. But, have you ever considered adding another layer of mulch before the snow flies? Deciding when to mulch is a topic that often seems up for debate. However, professionals consider fall a great time to lay an extra layer of mulch. It not only keeps your landscape looking fresh, but comes with many more benefits that will keep coming long after the snow melts.

Insulation

It is no secret that the repeated freezing and thawing of a Michigan winter can be hard on plants. It puts stress on anything below the first few inches of the soil. Laying mulch in fall keeps the soil warmer and insulates plant roots.

The mulch also provides a warmer environment for organisms such as microbes and worms. The longer they are active, the better the shape of your soil.

Moisture Retention

Adding fresh mulch in fall helps your landscape beds conserve water. This is extremely important after a dry summer.

Mulch softens the impact of raindrops and quickly melting snow. That allows it to better permeate the soil and prevents it from evaporating quickly. This means your plants, shrubs, and trees will have the water they need when they need it.

Improve Soil Structure

Decomposing mulch promotes healthy soil that helps fend off disease. Adding mulch in fall gives it the entire winter to break down and add nutrients to the soil. Improving soil structure in this way allows air and water to better penetrate through it. This, in turn, helps plants establish roots come spring.

Weed Control

Just as plants begin to emerge following a winter hibernation, so do the weeds. You can get a jump on them by laying mulch in fall. The mulch will prevent new weeds from taking root and growing once the snow melts, and will cut down on how many weeds you’ll need to pull come spring.

Pest Control

Mulch can also protect your plants from bugs and pets just waiting to take a bite out of them. Insects live in the soil, so a layer of fresh mulch around your plants can help prevent pests from climbing plant stalks and feasting on the leaves and blooms.

Convenience

Do you dread spring clean-up of your yard? There is just so much to do. Mulching in the fall frees up time you can spend tending to other spring activities once winter is done because you will have already laid new mulch in your beds.

It is also cooler in the fall. That means the climate can be more comfortable for a big chore like mulching.

Turn to Twin Oaks Landscape to Deliver the Mulch You Need

You can reap the benefits of laying mulch in the fall by simply logging on or picking up the phone. Twin Oaks Landscape is here to make it easy by delivering mulch right to your driveway.

Twin Oaks offers contactless delivery of mulch to protect you and your family. Our safe mulch delivery service complies with health protocols to slow the spread of COVID-19.

The Twin Oaks team of experts can also advise you on installing fall mulch and help you calculate just how much you’ll need.

Our mulch order form can be found right on our website and as always, you can call us with questions at any time, 734-213-6911.