Number 12

Spring 2015
TO MULCH, OR NOT TO MULCH
Mulch can be any number of materialsfrom straw
and leaves to bark, peat moss and plastic film
which can be easily applied to protect the soil
surface.
Consider the benefits of mullching. Mulch retains
moisture during hot, dry summer months, and
rsulating it from the elements. Good organic mulch,
such as cypress, red ceder, cocoa shells, or western
bark also looks and smells great.

T h e P e o p le W h o C a r e

A three-step process is effective:

First, prepare the soil by rotatilling or spading,

working in a good fertilizer and/or compose
such as peat moss or mushroom compost.
Second, clear away the leaves, plant debris
and litter from the soil surface. Cultivate and
rake smooth.
Third, for affective week control either use a

four inch layer of mulch or a fabric week

barrier covered by 2 inches of mulch.
Here are two examples:
1. You want to cover a rectangular area twenty
feet by ten feet and control the weeds. This will
take 200 square feet of weed barrier and 17
bags (2 cubic feet each) of mulch.
2. The area is circular with a diameter of ten
feet. You will need 13 bags of mulch (applied 4
inches thick).

The difficult we do today; the impossible just takes a little longer.

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ON PLANTING YOUR GARDEN

Besides preparing and paying your taxes, what
should you be doing to prepare for spring? One
thing you can do is plan your garden. To help
you, we have booklets covering a wide variety of
topics. Some of the booklets include:
Beautiful Roses

The People Who Care

Growing Perrenials
Gardening
Landscapes
Pruning Made Simple
Improving Garden Soils
Beneficial Insects

29 W 036 Butterfield Road

Warrenville, L 60555
(630) 555-1062
www.emcp.net/butterfield

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