Spring Garden Cleanup Tips: The Right Way to Mulch Your Garden and Trees in Houston

Spring has officially arrived in Houston, and with it comes the perfect opportunity for a spring garden cleanup. If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably already strolled through your garden, taking stock of what survived the winter, trimming back overgrown perennials and shrubs, and tackling everyone’s least favorite gardening chore — weeding.

As you prepare your outdoor space for the warmer months ahead, one of the most important finishing touches is applying a fresh layer of mulch to your garden beds and around your trees. Mulch not only enhances the visual appeal of your landscape, but it also helps retain soil moisture, regulate temperature, and suppress weeds. However, it’s crucial to know that there is a right way and a wrong way to mulch.

Avoid the Common Mistake: The Tree Mulch Volcano

Take a drive through any Houston neighborhood or public park, and you’ll likely spot the infamous tree mulch volcano. While it may look tidy, this practice of piling mulch high against the trunk of a tree can do far more harm than good.

When mulch is heaped around the base of a tree, it traps excess moisture against the bark, encouraging fungal growth and disease. It also prevents tree roots from spreading properly, reducing their ability to absorb water and nutrients. Over time, this weakens the tree’s structure. Additionally, moist mulch in constant contact with bark creates a perfect hiding spot for pests such as rodents and insects, which can cause further damage.

How Much Mulch Is Too Much?

Another frequent mistake gardeners make is applying too much mulch. The key to healthy mulching is consistency and moderation.

A best practice is to apply a light layer of mulch twice a year — once in the spring and once in the fall. Yes, it’s twice the effort, but this approach delivers significant benefits. Adding just one to two inches of mulch each time allows it to break down naturally and enrich the soil, providing a steady source of nutrients to your plants.

Applying too much mulch in one go can create an impenetrable barrier that prevents water and oxygen from reaching your plant roots, effectively suffocating them. Thick layers of mulch can also trap excessive moisture, leading to root rot and fungal problems.

Don’t Skip Regular Mulching

On the flip side, neglecting to reapply mulch can be just as detrimental. If you let your mulch completely break down and disappear between applications, your plants lose the protective benefits that mulch provides — including moisture retention, temperature regulation, and weed suppression.

The Right Way to Mulch for a Healthy Houston Garden

To keep your plants and trees thriving throughout the growing season, aim to apply natural hardwood mulch twice a year — in the spring and again in the fall — as part of your regular garden maintenance routine.

Maintain a mulch layer that is a few inches thick across your garden beds, but always ensure you keep mulch away from the base of your plants and tree trunks. This promotes healthy air circulation and proper water flow, helping your landscape look vibrant and flourish year-round.

Happy Spring, Houston gardeners! Let’s get growing the right way!