By Rozalia
Lancashire,
United Kingdom 
Feeding shrubs surrounded by deep mulch? We have a 100ftx8ft area planted with various shrubs etc. It borders a drive by a field. I have spent hours battling the grass and weeds and it is finally looking reasonable. As I weed I'm putting down a mulch of shredded bark - over weed membrane in some places near the edge of the track. As and when I need to apply feed (blood, fish, bone/ compost ) do I scrape away the mulch or apply on top of the mulch? Just asking because my husband has planted a lot of prickly/thorny shrubs and its easier to throw compost/feed around the base rather than scramble in to scrape away at the base!
11 Aug, 2010
Answers
I would use a rake after to mix the chips up and knock the fertilizer off the top. Careful not to tear the weed membrane!
11 Aug, 2010
Hadn't thought to rake it in! As I can get an endless supply of composted material(from hubbies job) I'll throw it on top and rake it over. Thanks.
12 Aug, 2010
If you don't want to remove the mulch, you'd be best off using a liquid or a solution feed and watering it on. Most things only need feeding in the spring anyway, so if you could bear to scrape it all off, apply fish blood and bone and maybe some Growmore, then push it all back again, you wouldn't need to repeat it till the following year. I would use the Growmore too myself to replace nitrogen being used up by the breakdown of the bark chips (meaning there's less available for your plants anyway).
11 Aug, 2010