What's the best mulch for shrubs?

What’s the best mulch for the shrubs in your garden? Well…

…the first question is why mulch? Mulch is a layer of organic matter spread over the soil to protect and improve it. It’s like a blanket for the soil. It should suppress weeds, retain moisture, and turn into soil.

One type of mulch is ramial wood mulch and that’s what we prefer to use around the shrubs in the gardens we work in. Ramial wood comes from the younger, small diameter, side branches of a tree. It’s greener than bark and generally breaks down quicker. We make mulch from it by finely chipping it and then composting for a few months before application. Do that and it’ll breakdown into soil in pretty good time as opposed to bark nuggets which take a lifetime!

When and how to apply it? A couple of applications at about 75 mm in October (after the spring rains) and the same in December or January is a good way to go. Apply around shrubs and trees, not perennials, annuals or vege beds. Weed well first and it’ll do the job.

For more information (or possibly the same information in video) please see https://youtu.be/JhA3-G0wyqs?si=uawxDQNUrdsf0WTu