On this week’s Good Growing Podcast, we welcome Emily Swihart back to talk about mulch! Learn about what mulch is, what it’s good for, what mulches we should avoid using, and why our mulch should be thick and chunky. We also dispel some common misconceptions about mulch.

Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/sqw4Cwr7wjo 

Skip to what you want to know:  

  00:30 – Welcome, Ken and Emily, and Chris’ existential crisis

  02:45 – What is mulch, and what is it good for?

  04:50 – What are our favorite types of mulch?

  09:20 – Any drawback to using woodchips as mulch?

  12:12 – Most effective mulch attributes

  14:15 – Much repelling water

  15:25 – Is rubber mulch a good choice?

  18:25 – Are rocks and landscape fabric a good mulch option?

  23:40 – Astroturf as a mulch?

  25:25 – Is allelopathy a problem with mulch?

  26:50 – Will mulch from diseased trees infect plantings?

  31:06 - Will decomposing wood mulch tie up nitrogen in the soil?

  32:00 – Should we or should we not use landscape fabric?

  33:45 – Is there a best time of year to put mulch down in the landscape?

  40:10 - Wrap-up, thank yous, what’s up next week, and goodbye!

Contact us! 

Chris Enroth: [email protected]

Ken Johnson: [email protected] 

Emily Swihart: [email protected] 

Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing

Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe

Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.

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