Don't apply fall mulch too early. Wait until after the first hard freeze, so you can cut back perennials. Don't layer mulch deeply over perennial plant crowns (the growing points). Don't forget to anchor mulch in windy areas by covering it with wire fencing or chicken wire.
Just make sure to remove the weeds before you lay down mulch. While mulching in early fall is safe, you should never mulch during late fall. "This can insulate the ground and prevent plant dormancy," says Morrell.
The best time to apply winter mulch is just after the first hard frost. By putting mulch down at this time, you will help stabilize the temperature of the soil right around freezing. Applying mulch too soon may delay freezing and encourage heaving and thawing.
Straw and Hay
Both straw and hay work well in vegetable gardens and they are easy to apply and rake away if you want to remove mulch later on. These materials also have a lot of air pockets when used as a mulch, which can provide shelter for beneficial insects and insulation for plant roots during the winter.
What month should you mulch? The best months to mulch are mid to late April, after spring bulbs have started to push up through the ground but before spring weeds get too active.
Compost, a crumbly soil-like material, is alive with worms and beneficial fungi and bacteria. It enriches soils, provides nutrients and increases the soil's ability to hold moisture. Several inches of compost can be piled on top of vegetable beds in autumn. Worms and other organisms will slowly work it into the soil.
Don't Make Mulch Volcanoes Around Trees
Instead, like keeping mulch from touching your house, leave a little space between your mulch and a tree's trunk. And don't pile mulch right up against other plants like shrubs and perennials, either, says Baka.
“When the air is warmer and the threat of severe cold is behind you, this is the perfect time to remove that mulch from your perennials. Leaving the winter blanket in place is likely to smother them or encourage the growth of harmful mold — removing the mulch will allow your perennials to grow and thrive.”
Again, because of the primary purpose of mulch (moisture retention), after rain is prime-time for mulching. If it has not rained for a while and the weather is staying warm, make sure you water the plants and soil before mulching so that there is moisture present.
Delaying your garden's clean up until the spring is a boon for all the creatures living there. Instead of heading out to the garden with a pair of pruning shears and a rake this fall, wait until the spring temperatures are in the 50s for at least 7 consecutive days.
Mulching is faster and easier on the back than raking. Studies have shown that mulching leaves can return nutrients and organic matter to the yard, and have long-term positive effects.
But beautiful autumn color quickly translates to leaves on your lawn. When lush, healthy grass is your goal, ignoring fallen leaves isn't an option. But that doesn't mean raking and bagging leaves is the way. Mulching leaves into your lawn is easier — and better for your lawn and the environment.
On other edible crops, fresh manure applications should be made at least three months prior to harvest. With just a four month or so growing season, this means you should only apply fresh manure in the fall; not in the spring or during the growing season to any area that is or will be planted with food crops.
Your garden is only as healthy as your soil. Adding nutrient-rich compost in the fall will greatly improve your soil next spring. Healthy soil is teeming with life — from macro-organisms like earthworms and pill bugs down to the microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, and microbes.
Mulch to Insulate Soil
One of the most important tasks in preparing a raised bed garden for winter is insulation. Above-ground gardens can be more vulnerable to the cold than in-ground gardens. Keep your soil covered with several inches of mulch. Spread the winter mulch after the ground is frozen.
Cover Up the Garden Beds
Add a couple inches of compost or manure on top of your beds any time before the ground freezes. Then, add a light layer of straw or mulch to prevent soil erosion, nutrient leaching, and weed development.
Our view is that mulch should be put down annually to compensate for the decomposition of the wood and bark fiber and the graying of the color. When applying annually, a 2”- 3” layer of mulch should be a sufficient depth. Mulch that is applied too thick can suffocate your plants and starve your soil for moisture.
Apply mulch just about anytime, remembering that if you mulch early in the spring, the ground might be slow to warm. If you mulch only in the winter to prevent heaving, wait until the ground freezes. Mulch could delay freezing of the ground, causing roots to go dormant later than normal and possibly damaging them.
The best time to apply winter mulch is after several hard touches of frost, which may be as late as November or December in the South. By this time, the plants have developed cold hardiness and the ground has frozen. Use organic mulch such as straw, shredded leaves, nut hulls, pine needles, or wood chips.