If the mulch is for decoration rather than keeping weeds out and water in, you can rake it back, apply the compost and put the mulch back.

If the looks of the mulch aren't that important, you can put the compost on top of the mulch.

What did you use for mulch? If it's organic, it will gradually decay and you'll need a new application next spring. THAT would be a great time to add the compost--before next spring's mulch. In the meantime, if you start any seeds, dig in/plant replacement annuals, grow summer/fall vegetables, give away any plants to friends--I think you see a pattern here?--go ahead and add liberal
amounts of your compost!

I have wood-chip mulch down around my roses, and I just water them with diluted kelp as needed. The water (and the minerals from the kelp) penetrates through the mulch and feeds the roses. Then the mulch keeps the roses' feet wet during the week so that I only need to water them on Sundays (yes, even during our heat spell over 100 degrees Thurs/Fri last week).

Cynthia H.
El Cerrito, CA (S.F. Bay Area)

The compost is the decorative wood chips. I never used mulch before but the weeds were getting to be too much for me to pull. Like I said, I do like the way it looks but I'm used to being able to just dump my coffee grinds, etc. So, what is kelp?

As long as your mulch is something that will eventually be digested by soil bacteria and fungi and not stone or rubber you can just put your compost on top of the mulch and let the soil bacteria and fungi work it in.
If it is important that a certain "look" be maintained then you can go to the trouble of raking that mulch back to apply the compost, coffee grounds, or whatever, although it is not necessary to do that.

You could always skip the wood chips and use the compost directly as mulch. It's the only mulch I use in my garden. 'Finished' compost provides a rich, dark and very attractive mulch, not to mention being of huge benefit to the soil.

Yes, I don't like commercial mulch, much preferring the look, and more quickly available nutrients, in a compost mulch or leaf mold, and even hay in my vegetable garden. In order to keep your commercial mulch looking the way it does now, you'll have to rake it back, apply your compost and put the "mulch"* back in place.

I've been using compost as "mulch" for the last few years. It does look great when you first put it down but it doesn't do much to stop the weeds. Using leaf mold sounds interesting, but I'm not sure how I'd do that. I have tons of leaves, but due to circumstances beyond my control (long story), I now pay someone to mow and they haul away the leaves which are mixed with grass clippings. What do you use to shred up the leaves? I'd hate to buy a mower for this purpose...but I would need a huge quantity to have enough for all my gardens. Also, is this something that would be attractive in flower gardens? No vege gardens here.

If your compost mulch isn't stopping weeds, try applying it more thickly. A generous four inches works for me for about six months.

I don't wait until my homemade compost is "finished", but often apply it when it is nearly done, but still crunchy. It looks a little rougher, but still nice enough for flower beds and lasts longer as the leaf and stick bits take time to break down. I also use a lot of commercial compost that is like chocolate cake.

lisa2004, kelp is seaweed, which can be found in dry meal or liquid form.

"Using leaf mold sounds interesting, but I'm not sure how I'd do that. I have tons of leaves, but due to circumstances beyond my control (long story), I now pay someone to mow and they haul away the leaves which are mixed with grass clippings."

Oh! This is so sad!

I use leaves as mulch, not shredded, just leaves. Somebody delivers them to me in the fall. I think that it looks nice, and I don't have to pay for it.

(The new subdivisions all have dyed wood mulch; probably the people there wouldn't think leaves look nice.)

I can't understand how you use whole leaves. Every spring I rake away heavy layers of wet, matted leaves that look awful. Not only do they look bad but they suffocate everything underneath them. I have mostly maple, oak and ash...am I doing something wrong?

Ma Nature uses whole leaves in her gardens all over the world with no problem. Simply because most of us have been trained all our lives to regard certain materials as waste, and is ugly to see, that must be gotten rid of does not mean we cannot relearn and work our gardens properly.
Those leaves on your soil are helping keep "weeds" suppressed, are adding organic matter to your soil, are helping the soil retain necessary moisture, and can help keep the soil cooler.

Every spring I rake away heavy layers of wet, matted leaves that look awful. Not only do they look bad but they suffocate everything underneath them. I have mostly maple, oak and ash...am I doing something wrong?

Yes, you are removing the best natural mulch. ;) It is one that is also far more effective than wood chips at keeping down weeds and it replaces itself every year instead of you having to do all the work of replacing the wood chips every year.

But if you don't like its looks just put your wood chips on top of it. To plant annuals just move the leaves aside, plant and put the leaves back in place. Any perennials will come up right through the leaves. Leaf mulch doesn't suffocate anything underneath it - instead it feeds whatever is there, stabilizes the soil moisture levels, and blocks the light that the needs need to sprout.

Dave

I have chickens ducks and rabbits, and I use wood shavings in all their pens. I compost the shavings when I clean their pens along with everything else, and use the nearly finished compost for mulch. Just about everything is gone but some of the shavings are still visible, although they are dark black. Looks great, already paid for, great for soil.

If "eye appeal" is important, try wheat straw as a mulch. It looks great, breaks down relatively quickly (feeding the soil), is supposed to be PH neutral, holds moisture long after the last rain, etc. Around here, you can get a large rectangular bale for 3 dollars (US) and a bale will thickly mulch a 10 x 20 ft. area. Sometimes the wheat grains will sprout- an added bonus if you harvest and eat them- very nutritional!

Well, it's not true, in my experience, that any perennials will come right through the leaves. Most of them will, but I have to go out in spring and help some of them out, and I'm sure I've lost some perennials because of the leaves (or maybe they would have died anyway). Bulbs, too -- the daffodils will come up through anything, but the crocuses might not. Not having to weed or water makes it all worthwhile to me, though.