Garden Basics: Wait for rains to mulch

Don't mulch dry ground! Yes, we do go on a bit about mulch. A layer of high-quality compost or wood chips goes a long way to helping your plants and soil, including acting as a blanket to slow the absorption or evaporation of water from the ground.

And that's just the problem with mulching when the soil is summer-dry. A layer of compost now will keep the soil dry, and make it slower to begin to take up moisture when the rains come back.

If your soil is bare and bone-dry, and you feel guilty for not mulching last winter, you'll just have to deal with it. And plan ahead. Check your soil after it starts raining this fall, and make sure the soil moisture goes down several inches. Then you'll know it's time to order yards of compost and get the shovel out.