I leave the mulch (pine straw) on the SIB's and JI's, although , I do have a coule SIB's that do well without being mulched. My beardless are just starting to "wake up"....I see some green starting to come ! I got several, last year (SIB's and JI's) that , IMHO, weren't "packed correctly"....they were 'bare root", with nothing to keep them damp......and a few of those , I'm sure, aren't going to make it....they were too dried out
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