How to Mulch a Garden Bed | Ask This Old House

This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook shows a homeowner how to properly mulch garden beds.

Shopping List for How to Mulch a Garden Bed:

Tools List for Mulching a Garden Bed:

Steps for How to Mulch a Garden Bed:
1. Cut a fresh border along the edge of the garden bed with a manual edger.
2. Rake up all the existing mulch to reveal the topsoil.
3. Shovel the excavated mulch, soil, and grass into a wheelbarrow and add it to the compost bin.
4. Use a three-tine cultivator to carefully scrape old mulch from around base of the plants and trees.
5. Use pruning shears to snip away all the secondary root growth from around the tree.
6. Remove all the old mulch from around the tree.
7. Order a truckload of mulch and have it dumped onto the driveway.
8. Fill the wheelbarrow with mulch, and then use an ensilage fork to transfer the mulch to the garden bed.
9. Rake the mulch out to 1 to 2 inches deep. Be careful not to pile mulch up against the base of the plants.
10. Rake the mulch away from the outer edge of the garden bed, so it'll be easier to trim the grass with a string trimmer.
11. Spread an inch of mulch around the base of the tree, keeping it away from the trunk.

About Ask This Old House TV:
Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we're ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers—and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O'Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook.

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How to Mulch a Garden Bed | Ask This Old House

[ericpabon]

if you watch these types of videos instead of watching the news, your day will go alot smoother

[courtneybolte]

Greg - it has been 5 years, don't forget to check that tree trunk for root regrowth !

[tuyenk.nguyen]

There will never be Another Roger. He has so much knowledge on garden/landscaping.

[owensweetland]

Nice looking house. Roger is a legend. Knows so much. Probably has the best Boston accent too. Lol.

[sammyrance]

Wow the edging, the mulch volcano, the root flare, and so much more. Amazing vid.

[johnsmith-wdsq]

Thank you for your Help Roger..May you Rest in Peace.

[enterthepc]

It is so obvious that this guy cares a lot about landscaping and caring for the plants to keep them healthy and happy :) After watching this, I realized everything my parents taught me growing up was wrong. I used a pointed shovel my entire young life mulching and IT SUCKED!!! I wish I had the tool he said and more importantly, his advice!

[clement]

Such a genuine guy. I love watching him. I love this vintage USA

[sherriianiro]

Wow! This video really hit home! The people that own the woods adjacent to mine have been dumping tons of wood chips into the forest over the past 10 years and more than 2/3 of the forest is gone - including my trees that bordered theirs and no one seems to care. If someone is making drastic changes to their property it can have adverse effects on yours too.

[goodneighborlawnsidaho]

This guy is one of my favorite human beings. I wish I could learn from him everyday!

[المهديخاتلبالمجاري]

It is recommended to keep mulch 6 inches away from the foundation to prevent humidity which might cause termite growth.

[frankmartinez]

Very informative. He knows his stuff and you can tell he loves what he does. Thank you good sir. Keep up the great content!

[Josh-fysv]

This guy is a fucking genius in every video he makes I wish I had his knowledge in my landscaping business

[danielmiller]

Wow! Roger, you're incredible. I can't believe what I just learned in 8min 12sec. I love you.

[Maxid]

5:11 Roger said it right there, it's an ensilage fork. It's for moving silage. I guess you can move manure on straw with it but I always used it for silage.

[sortamad]

i just told my dad i would mulch his gardens with no experience doing this and this is so helpful

[TheSusan]

Thanks so much. I learned so much; mostly all the things that I had done wrong: my mulch was jammed up against the tree trunks.. And, I thought mulch was so great at holding in water, so I put it on top of the soil in my potted plants. WRONG. The mulch kept the moisture in so well that I ended up with root rot. I also heard that too much mulch is a jim-dandy nesting bed for rodents.

[QuadTubeChannel]

Found this video extremely useful. Very clear and concise instruction. Much appreciated :)

[tlong]

As always, another well done easy to follow video. This old house has been around for many years. Video's like this is the reason why. Thank you...

[desertspectre]

Setting the flower beds at work this week here in Souther California