Mulch mixtures: 8 great recipes!

Mulching is a yearly routine in my garden, and I look forward to it.

A layer of mulch in vegetable beds, around fruit trees and in ornamental shrub and perennial beds will benefit your garden in three main ways: it suppresses weed growth, reduces the need for water and adds organic matter to the soil.

When winter comes, mulch is a protective barrier against heavy rain, which compacts the soil. And it protects plant roots from harsh freeze and thaw cycles. The specially formulated mulches below will do all this and also provide many of the special nutritional needs of each part of your garden.

Easy Vegetable Garden Mulch
Mulch the vegetable garden in early summer, after young seedlings are nestled in. When adding the mulch around new plants, leave a 5-cm (2-in.) space around tender stems.

2 bags chicken manure
1 bag leaf mould or garden compost
250 mL (1 cup) greensand
250 mL (1 cup) glacial rock dust

Mix and apply a 5-cm (2-in.) layer to vegetable beds after planting.

Fruit Tree Special
Apply mulch to the drip line around fruit trees to produce colourful, tasty and long-keeping fruit. If the trees are growing in the lawn, just rake the mulch into the lawn up to the tree drip line.

2 bags fish compost
1 bag mushroom compost
250 mL (1 cup) organic granular fruit tree blend fertilizer
250 mL (1 cup) bone meal
125 mL (1⁄2 cup) greensand

Mix and apply a 5-cm (2-in.) layer to the drip line of the tree.

Shrub and Perennial Beds
Shrub and perennial beds will look fantastic after they receive a layer of mulch. For the best effect, do a little housecleaning first: Weed, then cut back or remove any spent perennial foliage, and then prune any dead, damaged or diseased branches from shrubs.

3 bags fish compost
1 bag mushroom compost
250 mL (1 cup) bone meal
250 mL (1 cup) greensand
250 mL (1 cup) all-purpose organic fertilizer

Mix and apply a 5-cm (2-in.) layer over shrub and perennial beds.

Rock Garden and Sedum Mulch
Although most rockery plants are drought tolerant, they still need nourishment. A 2.5-cm (1-in.) layer of this mulch is sufficient. First, pull weeds and divide any plants that are overcrowded. Remove winter debris, such as pinecones, leaves or twigs. Restack rocks that might have come loose, replant divisions and add the mulch. The last step, to help the divisions settle in, is to water.

1 bag turkey grit, available at garden or feed stores
250 mL (1 cup) bone meal
250 mL (1 cup) organic granular fertilizer
Mix and apply a 2.5-cm (1-in.) layer in the rock garden.

You can use any size of grit - fine, medium or coarse. You can also use a fine volcanic rock, such as zonolite.

Evergreen Hedge Mulch
Hedges and evergreen trees are often neglected when it comes to feeding and mulching, but an annual application will help keep them healthy and vigorous. The soil under a mature hedge is often dry, nutrient-depleted and full of debris shed by the hedge. Before applying the mulch, rake under the hedge to remove debris, then apply the mulch and water it in.

1 bag fish compost
1 bag steer manure
250 mL (1 cup) bone meal
250 mL (1 cup) greensand

Mix and apply a 5-cm (2-in.) layer under coniferous or broadleaf evergreen hedges and trees.

Lawn Booster
Rake a layer of mulch into your lawn each summer to break down thatch, add nutrients and reduce the need for water. The soil will be cooler, a benefit for the natural aerators in our lawn, earthworms.

1 bag steer manure
1 bag mushroom manure
1 bag fish compost
250 mL (1 cup) bone meal
250 mL (1 cup) glacial rock dust

Two weeks prior to raking in a 5-cm (2-in.) layer of compost, lime your lawn. The lime will sweeten the soil, making the nutrients more available. On the day of application, mow your lawn. Leave the clippings on and rake them in with your lawn booster. Water after application (consider watering with a compost tea).

Summer Rose Mulch
Not only do roses like the added winter protection of mulch, but the nutrients are essential for fragrant, colourful and prolific blooms. A healthy plant is also better able to protect itself against the pests and diseases that can plague roses.

1 bag mushroom manure
250 mL (1 cup) organic granular rose food
125 mL (1⁄2 cup) bat guano
125 mL (1⁄2 cup) bone meal
5 chopped garlic cloves

Mix all ingredients except the garlic cloves and apply a 5-cm (2-in.) layer to the drip line of the rose. Tuck the chopped garlic in under the rose drip line; the garlic provides sulphur, which helps resistance to black spot.

Rhododendron, Azalea and Camellia Mulch
Rhododendrons, camellias and azaleas are shallow-rooted plants that really do appreciate that extra layer of protection against summer heat and winter cold. Applying mulch in the summer gives them the extra nutrients they need to push out big buds for the following spring.

1 bag fish compost
125 mL (1⁄2 cup) greensand
125 mL (1⁄2 cup) organic granular rhodo food
250 mL (1 cup) used coffee grounds

The fish compost is slightly acidic and the coffee grounds also add acidity, while the greensand contains necessary trace elements. These plants are shallow-rooted, so chicken and steer manure should be avoided, to avoid burning their roots.