Neal, your comment about the rodents reminded me that I've read that one should wait until the ground is frozen before mulching; but where I live there is often a couple of feet of snow on the ground before the ground actually freezes, which makes mulching rather problematic... I think we sometimes just have to do what we have to do when we can do it !

You're right, Sandy! If the mulch is kept in a spot that also gets the freezing weather I think spreading it would be very difficult if not impossible.

Sandy, thanks for the reminder that NO gardening rule is a valid rule for every climate and every gardener.

Context matters.

I hadn't thought of that Sandy, good point! We don't get reliable snow coverage, but I did spread some mulch last year after the ground had frozen. The mulch had frozen on top, but it wasn't difficult to break up the top layer and get to the workable stuff underneath.

I'm just tossing conventional guidelines to the wind, and am just going to do it as it needs to be done. It's sunny here today without much wind, so I've been out mulching . Getting those areas covered where I've been weeding out Lamium and Peppergrass, and it's looking so much better. My back typically lets me spread 4-6 cartloads in a day without protesting too much; today I've spread 5, so that's it for today. Since this is my winter "work out", I need to devise a system- for every serving of holiday goodies I eat or drink, I have to spread a cartload of mulch! LOL

Neal - I've been mulching just like you. It does feel good to get ahead.

I like your method of evening out the good times with outdoor work...more fun that a gym.

gemini_sage said:It's sunny here today without much wind, so I've been out mulching .

We didn't have any sun at all today and haven't had any sun for days!

Not much sunshine here either and seems twice as cold working without it.

It has been dreary and cold here for days.

gemini_sage said: Since this is my winter "work out", I need to devise a system- for every serving of holiday goodies I eat or drink, I have to spread a cartload of mulch! LOL

Neal, if I went by your guidelines I would have to haul a train-car full of mulch to the garden at this time of year !!

Right now I do have a few piles of leaves under the snow that never got raked out, and I still would like to get my pathetic blueberry plants covered with some burlap sacks ... I already have some upside-down tomato cages over them to support the burlap. The snow has kind of been coming and going, this week is supposed to be sunny so maybe more will "go" and I can go out and get that done !

All of the stuff I usually glean for mulch is sopping wet. It's been raining and raining and raining. I didn't get any winter mulch down because the rains came early.

We haven't had our below freezing night temps this year, so the weeds have been growing and smothering plants with wet, gloppy leaves.

No rain expected for next week, except for one day, so I'll be out weeding, but don't have any mulch material to put down ... It does look like night temps will finally drop below freezing at the end of next week. I still have to get the weeds off of the roses, but at least the dang weeds will stop growing ..

I don't need to mulch for winter protection, just to feed the soil and slow down the germination of weeds in the spring.

Smiles,
Lyn