can you put mulch around plants before

I don't thing it would hurt the growing plants but i always put after planted the flowers, If you put mulch on too thickly, it might shade seedlings, and some of the seeds need some shades before they become stronger plants. Have a great day!

I would say you could if you left a circle that is clear of mulch, exactly where you seeds are planted. Remember mulch is there to keep plants, like weeds, from growing so they will also keep your flowers from growing if you cover up the seeds with mulch. So just be careful not to cover them up and you should be fine.

I don't put the mulch over until the stems have grown strong enough so they don't get damaged from the weight of the mulch. One thing I do different, is that when I prepare a row, I take folded newspaper (black & white sections only) and put them down in the rows on either side of where I'm going to plant. I leave a strip in the middle for the seeds or plants to go into. Then I plant the seeds and cover the strips, and put the mulch over the part that has the newspaper under it. Then once the plants are up, I rake over the mulch around them. Why old newspapers? Because no weeds will come up under the newspaper that's buried, and as it disintegrates, it nourishes the soil. If you rototill in the fall, it breaks it down even better. I do the same in my veggie garden, and it's cut down on almost all weeding except for right where the plants are. It may sound weird, but I learned about doing this in the 70's, and I've done it ever since. Happy gardening!

I have put mulch over plants before they start to grow, works well for me.