yes put an inch or two of topsoil over areas and seed.
Mulching the grass can double as a fertilizer.
I do it all the time. You can actually buy fertilizer, grass seed and mulch mix all in one bag.
No, it is harmless to grass seed.
The grass clippings provide a great source of nitrogen for the grass. It is best to leave the clippings. It does help retain moisture. The grass clippings can even be used as a mulch for plant beds.
Yes they are. Old newspapers are used for many different things. They are ground up and mixed with fertilizer and grass seed and sprayed on the sides of highways. The old paper works as a mulch helping to keep the grass seed in place and eventually breaks down. This is called Hydroseeding.
Junipers like Acid fertilizer, the same as you use for Hollies, Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Lily of the Valley, et al... Remove the mulch and fertilize under the branches and mulch after that, in the summer. In the fall use no nitrogen, a 0-20-20.
A fertilizer high in nitrogen and a mulch high in organic material describe respectively good inorganic and organic fertilizers for yews. An example of a high-nitrogen fertilizer is 16-8-8, with the last two numbers representing phosphorus and potassium inputs. An example of an organic mulch is cocoa bean hulls, compost, lead mold or shredded bark.
I would say rocks.
Local nurseries or garden centers would carry straw mulch. Generally places that sell grass seed will carry straw.
Mulch itself is not alive, however within a few weeks or days there is a lot of life working with mulch to break it down. There are different bacteria and fungi that break it down into humus (not the kind you eat) and other nutrients. This is why you have to continue to apply mulch and also why aged mulch is good to plant in.
An acidifying fertilizer or compost are the best fertilizers for gardenia shrubs (Gardenia spp).Specifically, gardenias appreciate soils that are more acidic than neutral. They therefore benefit from acidifying fertilizers that keep the soil pH below the neutral range of 6.5-7.0 on the 1-14 scale. They get the same benefits when compost is applied at fertilizer along the drip line or as mulch. Additionally, compost as mulch controls weedy competitors, favors drainage, increases soil fertility and keeps temperatures even.
Yes, in small amounts, but keep in mind, grass clipping may generate heat, and burst into flame.