My old landscaper told me that adding mulch around my bushes would
kill the bushes. Is this correct? After five years I need to add more
soil to the area where my bushes are (near my patio) as the rain has
washed a good amount of it away. Should I just add soil and forget
about the mulch?


Thank you,

Javier

My old landscaper told me that adding mulch around my bushes would
kill the bushes.

Hard to evaluate this claim without knowing what he had in mind. Too
thick a layer of mulch can be a problem, as the roots get buried (for
example, 12 inches a year, every year, is too much). And there are
differing schools of thought about mulches. But there's nothing about
mulching that it can only be done when the plant is first planted.

After five years I need to add more soil to the area where my bushes
are (near my patio) as the rain has washed a good amount of it away.

If the roots are being exposed, then you should definitely cover them.
Either soil or mulch would work but I'd lean towards some kind of
organic matter (composted leaves, shredded pine bark for acid loving
plants like azaleas, maybe hardwood mulch for alkaline loving plants
depending on your current soil pH), to improve the structure and
fertility of the soil. Or a mixture of soil and organic matter.

Some kind of short retaining wall (for example, a row of bricks or
cinder blocks or whatever), or some such measure, may prevent the new
soil from washing away like the old did.

"Javier" wrote in message
ps.com...
My old landscaper told me that adding mulch around my bushes would
kill the bushes. Is this correct? After five years I need to add more
soil to the area where my bushes are (near my patio) as the rain has
washed a good amount of it away. Should I just add soil and forget
about the mulch?


Thank you,

Javier


What kinds of bushes, and where do you live?

On Wed, 29 Aug 2007 21:58:34 -0000, Javier wrote:

My old landscaper told me that adding mulch around my bushes would
kill the bushes. Is this correct? After five years I need to add more
soil to the area where my bushes are (near my patio) as the rain has
washed a good amount of it away. Should I just add soil and forget
about the mulch?


Thank you,

Javier

Any plants will benefit from an organic mulch. Protects roots,
conserves water, supplies nutrients. I guess it's possible to kill a
plant using too much mulch, using a mulch that can not breathe or
using a mulch that contains harmful chemicals.

I'm in Teaneck, NJ. I don't yet know the types of bushes, this is all
new to me. Are there any sites that can help me figure out the type of
bushes that I have?

Javier

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"Javier" wrote in message
ps.com...
My old landscaper told me that adding mulch around my bushes would
kill the bushes. Is this correct? After five years I need to add more
soil to the area where my bushes are (near my patio) as the rain has
washed a good amount of it away. Should I just add soil and forget
about the mulch?


Thank you,

Javier


What kinds of bushes, and where do you live?

How about posting some nice, clear digital pictures, including some closeups
at a site like www.photobucket.com ? It's free. Then, post the links here so
we can check out the pictures. In addition, you could have prints made and
take them to a real garden center and ask them. Your landscaper made a
statement which MAY be true for some plants, but certainly not for all of
them.


"Javier" wrote in message
oups.com...
I'm in Teaneck, NJ. I don't yet know the types of bushes, this is all
new to me. Are there any sites that can help me figure out the type of
bushes that I have?

Javier

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"Javier" wrote in message
ps.com...
My old landscaper told me that adding mulch around my bushes would
kill the bushes. Is this correct? After five years I need to add more
soil to the area where my bushes are (near my patio) as the rain has
washed a good amount of it away. Should I just add soil and forget
about the mulch?


Thank you,

Javier


What kinds of bushes, and where do you live?

Jim Kingdon said:

If the roots are being exposed, then you should definitely cover them.

Not really. If you /must/ cover them, use a light mulch only (not soil). If
they've been exposed for any length of time, it's best to leave them as is.

--

Eggs

Two can live as cheaply as one, for half as long.

Javier wrote:
My old landscaper told me that adding mulch around my bushes would
kill the bushes. Is this correct? After five years I need to add more
soil to the area where my bushes are (near my patio) as the rain has
washed a good amount of it away. Should I just add soil and forget
about the mulch?


Thank you,

Javier

Add soil if it has eroded. Keep the mulch it conserves moisture.

Derryl

Calgary

"Javier" wrote in message
oups.com...
I'm in Teaneck, NJ. I don't yet know the types of bushes, this is all
new to me. Are there any sites that can help me figure out the type of
bushes that I have?

Javier

Public library.

"Javier" wrote in message
ps.com...
My old landscaper told me that adding mulch around my bushes would
kill the bushes. Is this correct? After five years I need to add more
soil to the area where my bushes are (near my patio) as the rain has
washed a good amount of it away. Should I just add soil and forget
about the mulch?


Thank you,

Javier


Dunno, can't see the history and cause of the soil erosion from here.

"Mulch" has 3 definitions.

I would, without looking at it, and assuming the erosion cause has been
corrected: add the appropriate amount of topsoil and dress with some highly
biodegradable mulch.
Dave

Improper Mulching can hurt and injure your woody shrubs-
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman/sub3.html
and
http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT2003/M/ Look up "Mulch"

So can improper pruning. Improper Pruning
http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT2003/tree_pruning

Sincerely,
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Arborist
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman
and www.treedictionary.com
Beware of so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology.
Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions keep reminding us
that we are not the boss.

"Javier" wrote in message
ps.com...
My old landscaper told me that adding mulch around my bushes would
kill the bushes. Is this correct? After five years I need to add more
soil to the area where my bushes are (near my patio) as the rain has
washed a good amount of it away. Should I just add soil and forget
about the mulch?


Thank you,

Javier

On Aug 29, 8:25 pm, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
How about posting some nice, clear digital pictures, including some closeups
at a site likewww.photobucket.com? It's free. Then, post the links here so
we can check out the pictures. In addition, you could have prints made and
take them to a real garden center and ask them. Your landscaper made a
statement which MAY be true for some plants, but certainly not for all of
them.

"Javier" wrote in message

oups.com...



I'm in Teaneck, NJ. I don't yet know the types of bushes, this is all
new to me. Are there any sites that can help me figure out the type of
bushes that I have?

Javier

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"Javier" wrote in message
oups.com...
My old landscaper told me that adding mulch around my bushes would
kill the bushes. Is this correct? After five years I need to add more
soil to the area where my bushes are (near my patio) as the rain has
washed a good amount of it away. Should I just add soil and forget
about the mulch?

Thank you,

Javier

What kinds of bushes, and where do you live?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Thanks, I'll take some pictures Monday and post them. Sorry it took
me so long to answer, my little girtl has been sick for a a few days
and I was on daddy duty.

Javier

Any plant will benefit from the organic mulch. Protect the roots, water conservation, supply nutrients. I think it is possible to kill a plant with too much coverage, film used, can not breathe or contain harmful chemicals coverage.