Mulch Now For A Healthy Garden Next Spring

With cold weather heading in, gardeners might want to think about whether they have plants that need mulching.

"With our perennial beds, even with trees and shrubs it's a good idea to get a layer of mulch on the soil, so there's some insulation to keep our perennials and trees and shrubs healthy through the winter."

Horticulturalist, Donna Cuin, with the University Ag Resource Center, in Casper, says mulching helps retain moisture, protects plants from our desiccating winds and later in the season from sub zero temperatures.

"Any where from two to four inches of mulch on the garden will help insulate those roots and then help to hold any moisture that we either put on the gardens before winter comes or apply when we do the winter watering."

Cuin recommends using mulch materials that are easy to access. The city land fill has lots of shredded wood mulch material available. Straw is easy to get from a feed store as well, but she says anything that is plant based will work and will break down and feed the soil.