Re: Removing Japanese Maple Leaf Mulch I Put On My Garden Beds Last Fall.

Question

I’m worried the maple leaves will deter ground cover (thyme etc) plants from spreading. They also look messy and my tulip bulbs are not growing as tall as my neighbour’s. I’ve been told to dig them into the soil, but that is not an option as there are so many plants in the beds that it will be too hard to do without damaging anything.

Answer 1

Unless the maple leaf mulch is very thick and heavy, it shouldn't deter your plants from spreading. Are the leaves matted down? That can prevent water from penetrating into the soil. You can buy an inexpensive rake that is not very wide, such as shrub rakes, 8 or 12 inches wide, and fluff it up so it is not matted. Or you can use the small rake to remove some of the leaves to prevent matting.
Tulips come in all types and sizes, so unless you bought the exact variety of tulips bulbs your neighbor did, yours could be a different height.

Here is more about mulch:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/mulch/mulching-with-leaves.htm