Should I mulch newly planted tulip bed this fall? - Ask Extension
Is it ok to mulch my newly planted tulip bed or should I wait until the tulips sprout through in the spring? Will the mulch block the tulips or are th...
Knowledgebase
Should I mulch newly planted tulip bed this fall? #158801
Asked October 28, 2013, 7:49 PM EDT
Is it ok to mulch my newly planted tulip bed or should I wait until the tulips sprout through in the spring? Will the mulch block the tulips or are they strong enough to push through the mulch?
Baltimore County Maryland
Expert Response
Tulips can easily push through a mulch layer, provided the layer is not too deep. Mulch layers should never be more than about 2".
It is also important to mulch at the proper time. If the bed is bare of mulch and you want to mulch in the fall, mulch early in the fall when weather is consistently warm or wait until we've had hard frosts and the ground is very cold or frozen. What you want to avoid is mulching when the soil is going from warm to winter cold and retaining heat in the soil so that plants do not go into dormancy normally.
ECN
It is also important to mulch at the proper time. If the bed is bare of mulch and you want to mulch in the fall, mulch early in the fall when weather is consistently warm or wait until we've had hard frosts and the ground is very cold or frozen. What you want to avoid is mulching when the soil is going from warm to winter cold and retaining heat in the soil so that plants do not go into dormancy normally.
ECN
