How do I amend my beds?

18 years ago

I have some beds established and am working on new ones. I know what to do with the new ones--amend as I go before the plants go in. But, what do I need to do with the old ones? I have mulch on them and some perennials planted. Do I move the mulch and carefully dig around the perennials? How deeply do I have to dig and turn? Do I do nothing and just fertilize (in which case, what do I do with all this compost that I'm going to have?). Do I turn the existing mulch into the bed (again carefully around the existing plants) and add more? What if my plants that I don't want disturbed are close together, do I just lay the compost and more mulch on top?

When do I do all this? Nothing is really growing at the moment so I don't really know where all my plants are. Do I wait for them to come up and then dig around them?

And if the bed is just as I want it, and don't want more or different plants in it, do I just leave it alone and add more mulch as needed?

Any help would be appreciated.

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Comments (3)

roselee z8b S.W. Texas
18 years ago
We just finished spreading several yards of compost from Gardenville. I moved any mulch aside and applied the compost. In some cases I mixed the compost in with the top of the soil like around the roses and then moved the mulch back.

In other cases, such as where some newly planted snapdragons are I simply moved any mulch back around the plants since I didn't want to disturb them, applied the compost and moved the mulch back. Water and earth worms will carry the nutrients in the compost to the roots.

Some of the beds did not have much mulch left. I will cover the compost with oak leave mulch when I gather them from curb sides in a few weeks.

If I know there are perennials in the area that have not yet emerged, or are just starting to emerge, such as summer phlox, I just cover the area with compost. They will come up through the compost.

I hope this helps! Happy gardening!
roselee z8b S.W. Texas
18 years ago
The mulch I pull back is pine bark nuggets in certain beds or cypress mulch I put in pots to keep the soil from sprashing out when I water. If a thin layer of live oak leaves is left from last year I put the compost on top of them.
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roselee z8b S.W. Texas
18 years ago
Sorry, I keep thinking of other stuff such as -- if there are small seedlings coming up, such as larkspurs, that I don't want to cover I put a bamboo stick in the ground by them as my dear hubby is apt to dump a wheel barrow full on compost on the small things without noticing. Then I can go back and uncover them.

Also in the beds that have nothing in them, such as the small plot for veggies and annual herbs, I turn the compost over into the soil.

That's all folks ... (famous 'last' words ;-)