I live in the Denver area and have some areas of the yard that I'm replacing with shredded tree mulch. We have a tree company that shreds trees and is nearby, and once in awhile we can get them to drop off a truck load of mulch.
What I'm wondering is: Even though grass wont grow up from under the mulch ( it's 4" or so deep ) will bulbs come up from under that if I plant them under it?
Like tulips?
Large flowering bulbs will come up thru 4 inches of mulch (e.g. daffs, tulips) and multiply and return year after year. Small flowering bulbs (e.g. crocus) will flower, but will struggle to come back year after year. They will not have enough leaf area above the mulch to gather the energy to multiply and grow back strongly.
Thanks Doug.
I wonder about dahlias.
But those are annuals anyway, I guess.
Tulips, Daff's will come up as will many other plants.... I've mulched
2 - 4" around trees and beds back in March.... the hostas, plantains, roses, daff, tulips, peopies are all coming up. 4" is enough mulch to keep a lot of (desireable) seeds from sprouting.Not sure about ferns.
Peter
Depends more on piece size and compaction than overall thickness. I don't recommend taking mulch from tree removal companies and power line clearing crews just because it's free. They grind material from over a broad range which vastly increases the odds of acquiring a plethera of serious diseases and insect infestations (I learned the hard way). The bagged pine bark nuggets I buy is sterilized, is available in various sized pieces, is inexpensive, is attractive, and lasts a long time.
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