Some of that looks like it got scorched; how hot has it been by you?

2 days over 100 last week. This week mid 90's.

Plants are tough - just provide water & mulch if you'd like. I like mulch even with compost enriched soil. It saves me lots of time & energy.

Thanks for your feedback!!

Ok, here's a question that will probably reveal what a newbie I really am.

Where do I place the mulch when I put it down. Right at base of plant? And, do I mix it into existing soil or no?

We're doing organic, so is there any type or brand that is best?

Thanks so much!

Felin

Mulch is placed on top of the soil surface. And generally it's wise to avoid mulch against the stems.

Don't be concerned about asking questions. All of us were newbies at one time.

Re type or brand of mulch, I like to mulch with organic compost (purchased - I don't have my own compost pile yet). It serves as mulch for the current crop, and then when that crop comes out I mix it into the soil as soil amendment. But it's a somewhat expensive strategy; I rarely mulch as much square footage, or as thickly, as I'd like to.

Mulches are materials that are laid on the soil. Soil amendments are mixed into the soil. Sometimes the same material can be used for both purposes.
Mulches can aid in "weed" suppression, soil moisture retention, keeping the soil cooler, and adding organci matter to the soil. If the material you have is not enough to properly cover the area needed you can use newspaper, or cardboard, under that material to stretch it. A good mulch will be 4 to 6 inches thick although with newspaper or cardboard that layer can be as little as 2 inches, just enough to cover the paper to hold it in place and to hide the paper.