Installing mulch in your landscape beds is an excellent way to enhance the aesthetics of your landscape in Iowa. The best course of action for mulch installation is to hire professionals to do it so the job gets done right the first time. That's because there are several mistakes that you can make if you do it yourself, like not opting to install the mulch by hand. Spreading mulch by hand is the best way to do it because it ensures precision and control. It's also easy to use the wrong amount of mulch if you go the DIY route and you might end up installing a layer that is either too thick or too thin. You can also miss the important step of not removing the weeds before laying down the mulch, which can give established weeds opportunities to continue spreading in your landscape beds.

1. Not Installing Mulch by Hand

Person with gloves holding mulch before installing it for a landscape in Des Moines, IA.

If you opt to install mulch on your own, one of the most common mistakes you can make is using a mulch blower instead of spreading it by hand. That's because spreading mulch by hand allows you to be much more precise than a mulch blower would be. Manual spreading allows you to carefully lay down the mulch and ensure even application throughout your landscape beds.

2. Installing Mulch Too Thick or Too Thin

Another mistake that you can make if you go the DIY route for mulch installation is not installing it to the proper thickness. Ideally, mulch should be installed between 2-3 inches thick. This thickness ensures your landscape beds are covered enough to provide health benefits for your plants, like regulating the soil temperature and helping retain soil moisture. If you install mulch by yourself, it's easy to miscalculate the amount of mulch and spread a layer that is too thick or too thin.

If your mulch ground cover is too thick, you risk suffocating your plants and blocking them from accessing the resources they need to thrive. Meanwhile, a mulch layer that is too thin is almost futile. Weeds can easily emerge from your landscape beds and the soil temperature will not be as stable for your plants.

Your mulch ground cover should be replenished every year to maintain the ideal thickness.

3. Not Removing Weeds Before Installing Mulch

Before installing mulch, you'll want to remove any weeds that are in your landscape beds. If you choose to install mulch by yourself, you can easily miss this step and get straight to spreading the mulch. It's crucial to get rid of the existing weeds before installing mulch otherwise these invasive plants can continue to grow in your landscape beds and steal nutrients from your plants. It's important to remember that mulch can only prevent weeds from sprouting in your landscape beds by smothering them and keeping them from getting access to beneficial resources. However, mulch cannot get rid of established weeds, so it's important to not miss this step before you spread mulch in your landscape beds!

Call us today to sign up for our mulch installation service!

The most efficient way to prevent committing these DIY mulching mistakes is to hire our professionals to install mulch in your landscape beds. Here at A+ Lawn & Landscape, we offer our mulch installation service to commercial and residential properties, as well as HOAs, in Des Moines, West Des Moines, Ankeny, IA, and nearby areas. Our team offers a wide selection of mulch options that you can choose from, and we can help you pick the perfect one for your landscape! Call us today at (515) 289-2020 to sign up for our mulch installation service.