You can purchase organic mulch online or at a gardening store. Organic mulches will have to be replaced or augmented every year.

For example, you can get an inorganic mulch that matches the color of your house. If you are going to a sleek, modern style, you may want to get stones that are all the same size and shape. Using stone or gravel in high temperatures could overheat and hurt your plants. [3] X Research source

Mulch is typically sold by the so-called “yard” which covers 100 square feet (9. 3 m2) of garden 3 inches (7. 6 cm) deep. If you are using mulch for weed control, apply the mulch so it’s 2 inches (5. 1 cm) - 4 inches (10 cm) thick. If you are mulching vegetable beds during the winter you should lay down a 4 inches (10 cm) - 6 inches (15 cm) layer. Applying too much mulch will suffocate plant roots and kill a plant.

If you are laying down mulch to prevent weeds or improve the health of your lawn or flower bed, it’s best to do it sooner rather than wait for the optimal time.

You can use both organic and inorganic mulch for winter mulching.

Wood-based organic mulch may compete for nitrogen with your new plants, so if you plan on using them, till nitrogen amendments into the soil beforehand.

If you have time, you can use a chemical weed killer to remove weeds as an alternative. A selective chemical weed killer will only harm broad leaf weeds or grasses. A nonselective chemical weed killer will harm any plant it comes into contact with. Don any safety gear recommended by your weed killer and read the manufacturer’s directions regarding application.

Don’t toss the soil into your flowerbed or you may promote grass growth in your mulch. You can also create an edge by lining up stone around the area that you want to mulch.

You can place the old mulch into a compost pile and let it break down. If you are adding a similar mulch, you can simply top dress the existing mulch after smoothing it out with a rake.

Just dumping all of the mulch in one area may leave you with too much mulch, which will suffocate your plants’ roots.

If you are mulching during the winter or for weed prevention, you can create a layer that is 4 inches (10 cm) thick. Leave an 1 inch (2. 5 cm) of clearance between the trunk of any trees or plants and the mulch.

Wood chips often last longer than other organic mulches but will turn gray over time.