The Good: Every gardener knows that mulching is a very good thing: 1) It reduces the amount of watering a garden needs. 2) It insulates the soil so that it maintains a more even temperature. 3) It reduces the quantity of weeds in the garden.
The Bad: 1) Since most U.S. gardeners don't have to water much in the early spring, it really isn't necessary for water conservation. 2) Putting down mulch before the soil has fully warmed up will keep the soil colder, not allowing it to warm up as well as the days grow longer and warmer.
The Ugly: Putting down mulch at planting time in the early spring provides a haven and a breeding ground for slugs, pillbugs and other such ugly creatures.
Solution?: 1) Put mulch down after bug breeding season, and 2) Put down mulch after the soil has nicely warmed.
I've been applying that theory for the last few years, wanting to be sure I wasn't over-looking something important before I wrote about it. From the beginning, it's worked perfectly! I have almost zero pill bugs and slugs eating my seedlings as soon as they emerge from the soil. I've not had to re-plant anything at all because of bug damage. I've not had to use any pest controls over the entire season for soil dwelling pests in 3 years.
Imagine my embarrassment at figuring that out after a lifetime of gardening!
Good luck!
