Lay down that mulch! How to mulch the right way

Step-by-step guide

ORLANDO, Fla. – I love mulch because it brightens up your yard in minutes and it’s cheap!

The bags of brown mulch we bought cost only $2 per bag! But make sure you properly place the mulch or you can do more harm than good for your plants and trees.

News 6 Photographer Destiny Santana poses with the home-improvement haul. (Copyright 2025 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

We purchased:

New bags of mulch. (Copyright 2025 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

We brought with us:

  • Gloves
  • Rake
  • Trash bag

Step 1

Prep. I hate raking up and bagging up the old mulch, but you will get better results. Getting rid of the old before putting down the new means the new mulch won’t be piled high on top of the old mulch. Also, the old mulch won’t bleed through.

An untreated section of mulch. (Copyright 2025 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

Step 2

Pour it out. I prefer bags of mulch because they’re manageable, I know how much I’m getting and I know how much I’m spending. But when you tear open the bag and pour it out, don’t dump it in a large pile. Smaller piles spread out are better, so a little goes a long way.

Mulch magic in progress! (Copyright 2025 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

Step 3

Spread it out, but don’t pile it high!

#Househack 1: You don’t need to more than a few inches, even a couple of inches, of mulch in any one spot. As long as it covers the ground, it’s thick enough.

#Househack 2: Don’t shove it underneath your plants right up to the base. Same thing with trees, never put mulch up against the trunk. Let the roots breathe, you don’t want to choke them. Pull back the mulch to the edge of the tree dripline or plant leaf line.

Spread that mulch around! (Copyright 2025 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

You just got results at home!

Another day of getting results, this time with mulch! (Copyright 2025 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

If you have a project you’d like Erik to tackle, send us an email at GettingResultsAtHome@wkmg.com and next week Erik might just show up at your door!


About the Author
Erik von Ancken headshot

Erik von Ancken anchors and reports for News 6 and is a two-time Emmy award-winning journalist in the prestigious and coveted "On-Camera Talent" categories for both anchoring and reporting.