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The Deep Middle


Gardening & writing in the prairie echo

Still Seeing Mulch Years Later? Plant More.

7/30/2020

4 Comments

 
If you planted a garden 2-3 years ago and you still see lots of wood mulch, then you need more plants. You're probably still seeing a decent number of weeds at this point, too (mulch isn't a magic weed bullet and, if too thick, often creates an ideal seed bed). So, you know, more plants. More layers. More density.

And if you are planting a garden today think about where you do AND don't want to be in 2-3 years:

1) Only put down 1" of mulch if you're using it. More mulch = less plant sowing while generally inhibiting forb and grass growth.

2) Put plants on 12" centers (12" apart) and no more.

3) Consider mixing potted plants and seeds to increase coverage. In spring sow grasses and annuals among what you planted. In mid to late fall consider a dormant seeding of perennial forbs among what you planted. (Maybe what you plant is the highly designed part, or plants that need a head start because they work on roots first like Baptisia and Amorpha and Silphium).

What do you do if you're on a constrained budget?

1) See #3 above. The best advice is to plant the architectural plants -- trees, shrubs, and perennial flowers -- that take longer to establish and serve as the backbone for the design. You may also want to plant aggressive species and let them start to self so or run asap.

2) Get plugs. Most landscapers and nurseries get their plant material from wholesalers, and that requires a business license. But you can also get them (if you're east of the Great Plains) via Izel Native Plants which works as a middleman for wholesalers to sell to the public. That means if you need plants in quantities of 32 and 50 you can get them for a much better per-plant cost.

4 Comments
Victor Cicansky link
8/2/2020 12:16:39 pm

I enjoy our emails,,,,always learn something prairie new

Reply
Martha Intrieri
8/2/2020 04:57:43 pm

Always learning something new here about gardening. Prairie up!

Reply
Jacky Surber link
8/9/2020 09:44:43 am

Thank you for this! Your articles apply even out in California, so mulch here to be filled in. And we need bare soil for ground nesting bees. Do you find bees can get through 1” of mulch? Trying to find the ideal
Amount of ground to leave open for them.

Reply
Benjamin
8/9/2020 09:50:50 am

Good to hear from you Jacky! And nice to hear (again) that my ideas apply even out west -- which is good news for when the next book comes out in 2022. I suggest 1" of mulch simply as a temporary cover to help control a few weeds and provide a little initial organic matter and soil moisture conservation until the plants can fill in and take over the aforementioned duties. I find that little bit of wood mulch tends to decompose within 1-2 years, sooner for sunny sites, and thus the soil will soon be open again for the majority of our native bees who are ground nesting. Thanks for making me clarify!

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    Benjamin Vogt's thoughts on prairie gardening in Nebraska. With a healthy dose of landscape ethics, ecophilosophy, climate change,  and social justice.

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prairie inspired  design

Lincoln & Omaha, Nebraska

Monarch Gardens is a prairie-inspired design firm. We specialize in lawn to meadow conversions as well as urban shade gardens.

Employing 95% native plants, our designs are climate resilient, adaptable, and provide numerous ecological benefits while artistically reflecting wilder landscapes.
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