The Mulch Mistake That Almost Killed My Vegetable Bed
Last spring, I piled three inches of mulch around my tomato and pepper plants, thinking I was doing everything right.
Two weeks later, I noticed yellowing leaves and a strange mold smell. Panic hit — had I poisoned my own garden?
An experienced neighbor named Frank, 65, came over and said, “You’ve got volcano mulch. Look at the base of those plants.”
He showed me that the mulch was touching the stems directly. It trapped moisture, caused rot, and invited pests.
His fix was simple:
Pull mulch away from the base, leaving a 2–3 inch gap
Thin the top layer to 1–2 inches
Check weekly for signs of excess moisture
Within a month, the plants bounced back. Leaves turned vibrant, stems firmed, and fruit set accelerated.
Lesson learned: even simple things like mulch need a bit of finesse. Too much love can literally suffocate your plants.
#Gardening #MulchingTips
