FALL MULCHING

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Wire cages filled with leaves or compost are often used in lieu of the Styrofoam cones. These cages needn't be stuffed to the gills with leaves. That makes for poor Or circulation and may lead to disease problems,

Whichever system you select, water the sot well before covering your roses and remove the mulch in the spring before new growth begins. If the mulch is left on until buds start swelling, it may put the new growth into shock when you remove it.

Bulbs. Certainly, mulching bulbs is not essential. But here in the great Northeast, the insulating value of a nice, thick organic mulch can't be overlooked. In Vermont, springflowering bulbs like tulips and daffodils are planted in late September or early October. The bulbs need time to develop their roots before the ground freezes and they lapse into winter dormancy. To postpone their long winter's nap, I protect them with a layer of rotted manure, leaves, or compost.

Wood chips, corncobs, sawdust—just about any mulch—will inhibit the emergence of your bulbs. If they can push up through a wet spring soil or several inches of snow, I doubt a couple of inches of mulch will slow them down.

Annuals. Mulch your annual beds earlybefore the first frost has settled into the soil-so that earthworms and beneficial microorganisms can stay at work longer during the cold months.

Wait, you say, is that everything I have to mulch to prepare for cold weather? Yes and no. Yes, this is a good place to start, but you know through your own experience what your season is like, so act accordingly And no mew's more to mulch after the ground has cooled. In the next issue (# 129), I'll discuss winter mulching of delicate and hardy vegetables, fruits, and woody plants in Mulching, Part II.

Editor's note: Stu Campbell is the author of The Mulch But: A Complete Guide for Gardeners, from which this article is adapted It's available from Storey Communications (Schoolhouse Rd., Pownal, VT 60261 or Call 800/827-8673; $819).

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