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If you’re mulching in the fall, aim to lay down the material right after the first frost, which will vary by climate. Late October and early November are good time ranges to aim for. Try to lay down your mulch after a light rainfall to lock in moisture for root growth through the winter.

Although it’s not required to lay anything under mulch, it can help to put landscape fabric or plastic weed barrier down and lay mulch on top. The barrier helps keep weeds from growing up through your mulch. It also helps keep rodents and insects from burrowing into the ground underneath.

A light layer of mulch can help protect a tree, retain moisture, and keep the soil healthy. However, it’s important to avoid over-mulching or piling the mulch up around the trunk of a tree, a practice notoriously called “volcano mulching.” That piled mulch can increase the chances of rot and disease on the tree trunk as well as overwhelming the soil, which needs access to a certain amount of air. Topped trees have it hard enough: mulch sparingly while they heal.

If you have a large area of brush and vegetation to clear, forestry mulching may be the best option. This method works well for relatively flat areas that don’t have many large rocks or mature trees to clear. Forestry mulching is a relatively quick process that improves soil health, reduces fire risk, and leaves behind usable mulch.