I want to put mulch on my garden to prevent weeds?

My father planted bulbs that come up every Spring. And every year my garden gets run amuck with weeds. I want to put down some tarp and then some that red chipped mulch to keep the weeds from growing. Do I have to pull up the bulbs to do that? and how can I if the flowers bloomed already?

I want to put mulch on my garden to prevent weeds?
My personal favorite for weed barrier is newspaper! Not the shiny ad stuff but the plain old regular newspaper! Lay a thick layer (7-8 sheets) over the area, water well with the hose, apply your mulch and water that in well also. The watering makes the newspaper stay down till you can get the mulch on it and watering the mulch makes the 2 bond together.



The spring bulbs will poke their way up through. We look for "lumps" coming up in the spring and go give them a helping hand by peeling back the newspaper. The newspaper will last a couple of years and add organic material to your soil without shutting off the air and water like the tarps and fabrics do. And you are recycling!!!!



I would rethink the red mulch though......it's colored with dye. Just get the normal stuff, better for the environment and you both!
Reply:Any covering on the ground such as weed mat, tarp etc is unsuccessful and horticulturists don't use weed mat anymore.

It doesn't let enough water/ light through to encourage good plant growth. The surrounding soil goes rock hard and the plants roots grow stunted and only where the small holes are.



Even if you put down chips etc the weeds eventually grow in the top because they are dropped by birds or blown by wind.



Consider planting a ground cover over the bulbs, eventually the weeds have no bare earth to grow in and maintenance is virtually nil. It also allows you to fertilize the bulbs. A good ground cover for bulbs is Veronica 'Oxford Blue'. There would be others you just don't want them to be so thick they don't let the bulbs grow through.
Reply:No you don't have to pull up the bulbs. All you have to do is cut out a little hole about 4 inchs in diam. to let the plant grow up. If you know where they bloomed, just put little sticks or somethign so you know where they are when they die down, cut a hole for them and then cover the landscape fabric with the mulch.



Good luck

nanny job