Gardening experts recommend adding a layer of mulch to your soil in spring (Image: Getty)
The winter period is a quiet time for gardening and much like the plants and wildlife, the garden tools often go into hibernation for several months until the weather warms up.
But March welcomes and with comes and longer days that together make for ideal conditions for pottering about in . There are plenty of tasks to get on with this month to prepare for spring, with March being the perfect time to start sowing seeds, pruning plants and tidying things up. One important task that gardeners should pay attention to this month is attending to the soil and ridding it of any weeds.
As a general rule, weed control should be carried out all year round but it is especially important in spring as removing them now will then prevent them from thriving in the hotter summer months.
Gardening experts say an easy way to do this is by adding a layer of mulch to your soil. Mulch is essentially just a thick layer of organic material made from manure, compost, bark, leaves or grass clippings, that is spread around your plants and on top of soil.
By adding this layer you’re not only helping the soil to retain moisture and nutrients, and insulating plant roots, but you’re also suppressing any weeds as it keeps them under the surface, away from sunlight, so they will usually die from suffocation.
This will help to keep weeds at bay and will prevent them from stealing water, nutrients and sunlight from your flowers, helping them to thrive as the weather warms up. If you don’t remove weeds, they can potentially cause flowers to have stunted growth and reduced blooms as they aren’t getting the nutrients they need.
Experts recommend removing any weeds from your flower beds and giving the ground a good water before adding your layer of mulch. You can use a hoe to break the surface of the soil and pull the weeds out, or use a garden fork to turf out any larger weeds that are a bit more stubborn to remove with your hands.
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Gardeners’ World explains: “Simply lay 5cm of your chosen mulch onto the bed or around key plants, without smothering them or damaging the lower stems. Bear in mind that a really thick layer of mulch will suppress more weeds, but bulbs and other plants will find it hard to grow through more than a 5cm layer.
“Use your hands or a spade to add the mulch, depending on the material you choose. Finally, use a rake or hoe to make sure the mulch is evenly distributed. When applying mulch, it pays to prepare the soil beforehand. This will save you time and effort in the long run.”
Gardeners’ World adds that mulch should be applying around spring bulbs, under hedges, around herbaceous perennials, and around fruit trees and bushes.