What should I do about old mulch?

I was cleaning out my flower beds and the mulch is really hard and dried and has a lot of acorns in it. Do I need to rake the old mulch out and put new in? Thanks, May

My recommendation would be just to break up with a rake and spread back over the garden. There is no reason to discard the mulch and purchase more. Some mulches do compact or mat. Remember a mulch layer should be about 3 inches deep. Mulch is expensive. In fact I think I spend more on mulch than plants. So I like to get the full life out it — in other words I like for it to compost to improve the soil. Dennis – Johnson County Extension

This story was originally published April 24, 2014 at 9:24 AM with the headline "What should I do about old mulch?."