When To Remove Leaf Mulch

[Decado]

I'm not really sure when to do this, especially on a strange year of weather such as this. I'm in zone 4 and our average last frost date is may 15th but this was the first march on the books with no snow and it's been relatively warm so plants are popping up like crazy. Usually nothings even up quite yet, we got a downpour today and things grew about 3 inches, crazy. Now for the most part leaving the leaf mulch there is fine, everything is coming up through, except for things like trailing ground cover, where it's growing fine above the leaves but under them there's no growth at all (long stems with leaves on the end). What should I do? When should I be getting rid of this leaf mulch? Are the frosts that I know we've yet to get going to hurt this stuff that's a good 6-12 inches above my 3-4 inches of mulch also?

[bullthistle]

Unless the leaves are piled 6" or more I wouldn't remove it because with rain and the change in temperature the leaves will break down. It may take a bit longer for plants to show their true colors but I wouldn't worry. Only worry if the plants are getting smothered.

[rainbowgardener]

Everyone has their own way of doing things and different things work in different situations/ climates, etc. I like to pull the leaves back away from the sprouting perennials to give them a little breathing room and let the soil warm up better. It stays cool and damp under the mulch (which will be a good thing later in the summer, when the mulch will be back). I've been doing that already... I usually do it when the things in the bed have sprouted a bit and most of the danger of severe weather has past (maybe there will yet be a light frost, but not expecting ice storms or anything). Some of the leaves I just turn under at that point, or dig holes in the bed and stuff them full of crunched up old leaves and bury them.

[Decado]

Well there's definitely stuff sprouting under the leaves and I can see yellowing and dying. So you don't think light frosts will kill this stuff? I doubt we'll get any snow or ice storms or anything anymore.

[rainbowgardener]

I assume "this stuff" is the new sprouts of cold hardy perennials, that are now starting to come back for spring, in which case they will be fine.

[Decado]

Well some of the stuff are the cold hardy plants that were still alive and thriving under the many inches of ice and snow that melted off over a month ago. At this point though everything is coming up, even the stuff that isn't cold hardy, although I'm not sure what is and what isn't cold hardy unfortunately.