Is It Okay To Put Landscaping Mulch Around My Tomato…
Elizabeth Asked
Is it okay to put landscaping mulch around my tomato plants? Also, is it okay to leave a container with the bottom cut out around the plant? The plants are growing nicely and blooming, but the older leaves have a small tiny spot (about pinhead size).
The Gardener’s Answer
Hello, Elizabeth: It is fine to mulch your tomato plants; it’s not absolutely necessary but it will help keep the moisture in and the weeds down. It actually can help prevent splash-up of fungus spores and other potential disease problems, but too much mulch can create an environment for insects and disease to thrive. The mulch layer should be no more than 2 inches thick and evenly spread around the base of the plant; it should not be piled up like a cone around the plant. As for your container with no bottom, it is absolutely fine, just think of it as having excellent drainage! You can bury the container a bit if it is noticeable that it has no bottom or plant something around the base of it. I have some beautiful containers in the garden with minor flaws that only I know about. The older growth on your plants that have spots can be removed. The functionality of any container has no effect on the plants themselves.
