Do you mulch?........BEFORE you plant?

Is it wrong to put a layer of mulch on the soil BEFORE planting a seedling? Spreading it apart to plant it later?

Morally wrong, or strategically?

I think it's just fine. If the soil's been prepped and has what you want in it, the mulch will keep things soft, cool & moist, with less weed competition. I mulch any area I'm not ready to plant in yet, except in the case of beds that need to be considerably warmer for plants like peppers, melons, or okra.

I am thinking mainly of my new raised vegetable beds, peppers, melons, okras included. You say DON'T do it for those?

Ladyborg, I'm in 6b, so my situation's different. I think you're doing the right thing, to mulch the beds. Can't imagine you won't have the heat you need. :)

Up here in the north, it could definitely be wrong, though one needn't fear burning in eternal fires for the offense. It all has to do with the temps of the soil.

I have some raised beds that are mulched now while they await planting tomato, pepper and eggplants two months from now and the mulch is feeding the soil microbes. The mulch will be pulled away a couple of weeks before planting so the ground will warm up and the plants won't be re-mulched for some time after that. Such is the case up here in the north.

Wayne