Gardeners’ soil might be to blame if their plants aren’t thriving despite regular watering. On his new YouTube channel, Gardeners’ World expert Alan Titchmarsh recommends adding a bit of mulch to revive tired flowerbeds.
He tells gardeners: “Mulch give your plants a boost, seals in moisture to reduce watering and makes sure that weeds have much less chance of growing.”
You can use your own well-rotted garden compost as mulch, or buy ready made mulch – often labelled as “soil improver.” But whether you’re spreading shop-bought or home-made, there’s one thing you need to do first.
Alan’s “secret extra tip,” he says, is to sprinkle some fish, blood and bone meal before laying your mulch, as it will restore vital nutrients to your soil.
He explains: “lt contains the three main plant nutrients; nitrogen, phosphates and potash, but they need to be broken down by soil bacteria before the plant can take them up, and that means that you’re encouraging a healthy soil rich in good bacteria.”
Alan stresses that the bone meal – and the mulch, should be spread in a ring around the growing plants, rather than dumped on top of them.
You should also give the area a good water first. Alan says: “The important thing is that when you put mulch down the soil is already moist.
“If you put it on dry soil it can sort of seal in the dryness …but you’re sealing in moisture and making sure those plants have a constant supply.”
Mulching is traditionally done towards the beginning of the year but, as Monty Don says, “The best time to put down a mulch is whenever you get round to do it,” and it can do a great deal to protect flower beds during a heatwave.
Alan makes his own compost, mainly from food waste and garden clippings, which he stores in a wooden bin “with a bit of old carpet” over the top.
Home-made compost will be usable much more readily in warm weather.
While you might expect to wait about six months or even a year, during a long warm spell compost can convert into a decent mulch “in about 3 months if you’re lucky,” Alan says.
Another option is composted bark, which Alan says smells so good he almost wants to use it as air freshener: “It has a wonderfully woodland smell,” he says. “Absolutely glorious.”
He says composted bark is particularly good for sealing in moisture as well as suppressing weeds on paths and along borders “The worms will take this down,” Alan says. “It’s a good organic enrichment for your garden soil.”