A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Plants and Flowers Forum Question on mulch...

I am mulching all my beds this year with cedar mulch. Question is, I love things that self-seed, for example my cone flowers - right now I'm busy transplanting some and leaving some where they are growing...If I am mulching my beds - will the seeds make it to the ground this fall in order to self-seed and grow next year, or will the mulch prevent this from happening freely?

Some might slip through but if the mulch is real thick, chances are that they won't. I keep all my beds mulched except for one, the one I want to reseed. It will get mulched in another year or two.

I also keep a piece of small ground tilled where I throw seeds to grow, as the perennials get bigger I just dig them out and replant where I want.

I used to use hardwood mulch, but switched to pine straw and now the seeds can fall through to the ground.

I guess you could rake back the mulch and direct sow your seeds, once they grow you can then just push the mulch back in, but it's not very asthetically pleasing

I use a hardwood mulch in my beds----the perennials have been coming back 3 years now. I have silver mound, songbird cardinal columbine,red sage salvia, Purple Coneflower, hypernicum, Gaura lindheimen (karalee petite Pink) and Surprise Lillie bulbs planted in those beds, and they all seem to do great. My columbine has even managed to come back in 3 separate places. When it comes to annuals, I scrape away my mulch, plant what annuals I want & then push the mulch back onto place. Quick, easy & no weeds--- But I should mention I put all of my perennials in as plants.