Just wanted to make sure I understood this - the mulch doesn't prevent the water from reaching the media right? I mulched before a few nights of light freeze and now we are back into the 50s and I find myself watering again and nervous that the the water is somehow not getting into the media (btw, when I water it's like a biblical deluge - I'm definitely not shy when watering).
Starting to think I mulched a little early.
Also, any concerns about mulch leeching nutrients from the media?
No you mulched pretty much when I do. Fall is a roller coaster of temperatures and weather conditions. You have to keep an eye on the weather and react accordingly (you are much like a farmer in that respect)
Ideally, you water the pots and soil very well BEFORE you mulch them in. Cover with mulch, but in layers, wet each layer as you go. If you don't water the mulch, the dry mulch it will pull water from the moist pot and soil. If you want, Water the pots and mulch before the next hard freeze comes, as once the mulch starts freezing through, it's too late and you won't be able to apply water directly to the pots and soil.
Mostly, once you water everything initially, it's not necessary to water much (if at all) for the entire winter--unless you get prolonged cold windy dry spells, or the mulch pile is sheltered from the rain..I typically don't have to water anything between Nov. and early March.
That said, I had to water this past week, with everything under mulch, as the air has been extremely dry and we hadn't had rain for weeks. We also got almost record cold, combined with dry air and wind, the top few inches of mulch dried out. I turned the backyard hose on the mulch piles during a thaw insured I watered enough to penetrate to the pots below.
Leaching nutrients is not a concern. Even it that happened, the trees are dormant and aren't using nutrients. THat's why we fertilize in the growing season.
