Can You Mulch Your Garden in the Fall? 5 Reasons Why You Should

Fall mulching has some major benefits when done correctly.

The parking lot at your local garden center can tell you a lot about the popularity of mulching in spring. That’s when pallets of bagged wood chips and shredded bark jockey with cars for parking spots. But what about mulching in fall? Fall is actually a great time to mulch (nature proves that point every year when leaves drop and become a mulch of their own). Consider the following benefits of mulching in fall and get must-know tips for adding mulch correctly before winter hits.

Related: How to Mulch Like a Pro to Help Your Garden Thrive

Benefits of Mulching in the Fall

Adding mulch in the fall will help your garden fare better through winter. And even if you added mulch in spring, autumn is a good time to top up the protective layer because of the following benefits:

1. Protection from temperature extremes.

Fall mulching can help protect plants in winter by reducing the chance of frost heaving. That’s when the soil alternates between freezing and thawing, damaging the crown and root system of newly planted trees, shrubs, and perennials by pushing them out of the ground. Mulch insulates soil from big temperature swings.

Just make sure not to put down mulch too early in fall, which can delay dormancy and make plants more susceptible to damage from the cold. It is best to lay down mulch in fall after plants go dormant.

While leaves can be left in place as they fall, wood chips (aged wood chips are preferred) should be distributed after the ground has frozen so the mulch does not become a winter home for small animals like voles, which eat plant roots and may damage your plants.

2. Conserving soil moisture.

Adding a layer of mulch in fall helps hold moisture in the soil, which is particularly important when a dry autumn precedes a cold winter. If that happens, or if there’s a lack of insulating snow cover, winter desiccation can occur. Evergreens are particularly vulnerable to winter desiccation if they lose more moisture through their foliage than roots are able to obtain.

Excess moisture can be detrimental to some plants, especially thick-leaved succulents, which prefer drier sites. Use inorganic mulches such as stones or gravel to mulch succulents, keeping the mulch several inches away from stems.

Avoid piling mulch against stems and tree trunks, which can trap moisture and cause problems with disease and insects. Also, do not distribute mulch too thickly, as it can prevent moisture and oxygen from reaching roots. Generally, 2 to 4 inches of mulch is the optimum amount. 

3. Lots of leaves to use.

Small or shredded leaves make an excellent mulch, especially for vegetable gardens and annual beds. Shredded leaves can also be useful in insulating grafted roses for the winter when hemmed in with a cylinder of chicken wire.

Note that whole leaves, especially large ones like maple, sycamore, and oak, tend to either blow away or mat down and smother herbaceous perennials, which is why it’s best to shred leaves before using them as mulch. However, whole leaves will work in a border of woody plants (and provide overwintering sanctuary for beneficial insects and pollinators).

4. Use up grass clippings.

Mild fall weather means you’ll likely still be mowing. Those grass clippings make a good mulch when they are allowed to dry first and then applied in thin layers (fresh grass clippings can form a dense mat and become smelly if applied thickly). Nitrogen-rich and able to break down quickly, they are useful in vegetable gardens and annual beds in particular. Do not use grass clippings from recently treated lawns around edibles. And don’t use clippings from weedy lawns that may introduce weed seeds to your garden beds.

5. Fewer weeds in spring.

Mulch discourages weeds by blocking sunlight and acting as a physical barrier to germination. However, it also can discourage desired flower seeds from germinating. For example, if you have self-seeding annuals that you want to return the following spring, you’ll need to pull back the layer of mulch when temperatures warm up again to allow germination to occur.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use compost at mulch in the fall?

Compost, which is the decomposed remains of plant material, makes an excellent mulch. It is uniform in color and texture and improves the soil more than any other mulch. It can be put down anytime, fall included.

Are fresh wood chips okay to use for mulch?

When wood chips are fresh rather than aged, they tie up nitrogen in the soil as they begin to break down, which negatively impacts plant growth. To compensate for this, first put down a layer of compost before spreading fresh wood chips. Or sprinkle some high-nitrogen fertilizer around the area.

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