Mulch is not just for gardens and landscaping anymore. Use a two-inch layer of mulch at the top of indoor plant containers to help cover unsightly soil, conserve water and keep them looking great.

Leaves make an excellent (and free) mulch. Three to 4 inches is a good amount around trees and shrubs, and about 2 inches is good around flowers.

For annuals and perennials, keep the mulch layer at 1 to 2 inches. Before adding new mulch, use a leaf rake to gently "fluff" the mulch and check the depth. If there are more than 2 inches, there ...

Organic mulch keeps soil cool, moist, and weed-free while boosting long-term soil health. Great natural mulches include compost, chopped leaves, pine needles, and straw. A thick 3-inch mulch layer ...

How Mulch Benefits Your Garden Using mulch around trees and landscape plantings keeps grass from competing with them for resources. A good mulch layer also helps reduce the impact of raindrops on ...

To help a tree or shrub, spread mulch over its roots the right way — as a layer, not a mountain. “All too often, you see mulch heaped up around a tree’s trunk,” said Sharon Yiesla, plant ...

Applying mulch is one of the easiest and best ways to help your trees and other plants, but doing it the wrong way can lead to trouble. “Mulch should be a flat, even layer over the soil,” said ...