How to Mulch around Your Home Foundation

Mulch is an excellent tool for retaining moisture in your soil and preventing weed growth. By spreading a layer of wood mulch or rubber mulch two-inches to four-inches thick around the foundation of your house, you can protect the edges of your home from root growth and hard-to-reach weeds.

Mulch should be coarse and thick in order to properly guard against weeds without decomposing too quickly. Coarse mulch will also further slow the evaporation of water from your soil, encouraging healthy plant growth. Mulch can be found at any outdoor supply store, or you can create your own mulch by shredding yard debris like sticks and leaves.

Step 1 – Gather Your Materials

To set a layer of mulch around your home foundation, you will need enough mulch to create a 3-inch thick layer between 2 feet and 3 feet out from the perimeter of your foundation. You will also need weed blocking plastic or cover to set over the area where you will mulch. Finally, you will need stones, bricks, boards or small logs to form a barrier between the mulch and the remainder of your yard, as well as a way to set the barrier in place.

Step 2 – Clear All Weeds and Small Plant Growth From Around Your Home

Removing all of the weeds from around your home before you lay mulch is critical in preventing weed growth. Additionally, you should remove any small plants and that may have set roots or will do so in the future.

Step 3 – Lay the Weed Blocker

After deciding how far out from the foundation to set your mulch, lay weed blocking plastic over the mulch area. Make sure to remove any rocks, sticks or roots from underneath the plastic so that it doesn’t rip. The layer of mulch will cover the plastic and hold it in place.

Step 4 – Set the Barrier

Using stacked stones or bricks, or by laying boards or small logs together and screwing the ends together for support, set the barrier around the plastic. The barrier should be between 4 and 6 inches high and must be securely in place to ensure that the mulch doesn’t overflow into the grass of the rest of the yard.

Step 5 – Spread the Mulch

Lay the mulch between the barrier and the foundation of your home. Ideally, the mulch should be about 3 inches thick. Make sure that the mulch covers the weed cover completely.

Mulch is a good way of recycling yard debris and stopping weeds from infesting your lawn. If you have an overgrowth of weeds around your home foundation, consider laying mulch to enhance the appearance of your yard and protect your lawn from invasive plants.