Inorganic mulches often are synthetic and can be an excellent option for keeping weeds at bay in a large garden or landscaping space. An advantage of organic mulch is that many organic mulch materials are free. Grass clippings, for instance, are in ready supply if you have a lawn you mow regularly. On the other hand, inorganic mulch options are longer lasting and often visually appealing.
Your choice might depend on the use, such as gravel and crusher fine for paths, and organic mulches in garden beds. How do you intend to use mulch in your garden? If you need to cover a large space, plastic or fabric mulch is an inexpensive, easy-to-apply option. Covering a large garden space with straw or wood chips can get pricey pretty quickly.
Additionally, keep your aesthetic vision in mind. Consider how you want the area to look, whether you are applying mulch for practical reasons or to create a cohesive landscape that blends colors and textures.
Dyed or even natural wood or rubber mulch is a great option for improving the look of a garden landscape. If you plan to use wood chips, you can place those before or after planting. Add mulch at any time during the season, though. Mulch texture differs depending on the type of mulch you choose.
Texture has everything to do with how you want your landscaping beds to look. It can also affect how easy it is to walk on an area and how well water and air reach through the mulch layer to support healthy plants.
That said, the impact is minimal, so you should still count on using fertilizer once in a while. However, applying an organic mulch above compost worked into the soil can feed the soil over time. Weeds are some of the most annoying foes a gardener has to deal with. In a large landscaping bed, a bunch of weeds can quickly overrun your healthy, beautiful plants and ruin your tidy-looking garden. Mulch can help you tackle weed problems.
Some mulches are better suited to keeping down weeds, though. Landscaping fabric and plastic mulch, for instance, literally suffocate any weeds hanging around.
Organic mulches like wood chips and straw will have a similar but less intense weed-killing effect. Make sure the ground has frozen a few times before adding mulch as a protective layer for the winter. Depending on your landscape design and what you're planting, each of these choices can make a good mulch.
It comes from a variety of sources, including cedar trees. Shredded bark is one of the best mulch types to use on slopes and it breaks down relatively slowly. Some shredded bark mulches are byproducts from other industries and are considered environmentally friendly.
Check the mulch packaging for more information. Test Garden Tip: Shredded bark can take up some nitrogen from the soil as it decomposes. If you have poor soil, adding some organic fertilizer to the soil can help keep your plants healthy.
It's also a bit slower to break down than leaves or grass clippings. Some gardeners like smaller, more shredded straw pieces while others prefer larger straws.
Straw is classically used in more utilitarian gardens, such as vegetable gardens , and around strawberry plants. Straw does a great job of keeping mud off of your edibles. Test Garden Tip: Make sure the straw is free of weed seeds, otherwise it can cause more weeds than it prevents. Oat straw is often particularly weedy. This mulch material breaks down quickly but adds to your soil structure the fastest. Plus, it's inexpensive; you can create your own rich compost for free, even from grass clippings and leaves.
Many municipalities give away compost as well. They're not the best type of mulch for slopes or other areas where they may be washed away by heavy rain; the chips tend to float and take off like boats. The nuggets are available in a variety of sizes; the bigger the nugget, the longer it lasts.
Rocks tend to be more expensive than organic mulches. If using mulch with fine particles that are 2mm or smaller, mix it with chunkier mulch with a particle size greater than 5mm. Organic mulches add nutrients to the soil, but the rate and extent of addition varies according to their composition and particle size. A by-product of the timber industry, these are usually readily available and, because of their usually large size and freedom from weeds and pesticides, make good mulch.
However, if you get them from a local tree feller, they contain quite a mixture of sizes. It is best to obtain them graded in size from a garden centre. They break down slowly, but use nitrogen from the soil as they do so. This problem can be overcome by sprinkling some organic nitrogen-containing fertilizer on the ground before spreading them. It can also be avoided by using it around native plants with low nutrient requirements.
It is probably wise to ask your supplier for mulch that is from plantation grown timber not old growth forest. This is also a byproduct of the timber industry — pine or hardwoods — and is supplied in different sizes. It is best used on general garden beds. Like wood chips, it also draws nitrogen from the soil as it breaks down.
Obtained from kerbside recycling this mulch contains a mixture of sizes and also, occasionally, bits of glass or other materials. But, a cheap option for general use. Straw is the stem material from grains and legumes remaining after the crop haa been harvested. It is a light mulch which breaks down relatively fast in less than a year. Straw from legumes like lucerne and peas pictured at the top of this article are excellent because they are high in nitrogen, but they can be too expensive to use as a general mulch.
They are best used on areas where the high nutrient content can be utilised best, such as the vegetable garden, and any remaining after the growth season can be dug in.
A minor disadvantage is the presence of seeds which may grow — but at least they are easy to remove. Other types of straw are also available e. Unless you live close to the sugar cane area in the north of Australia, it will have a lot of embedded energy due to transportation. Unless you can find a certified organic source of straw, remember it will probably contain pesticide residues.
Hay is cut and dried grass or legumes. Therefore, it contains more nutrients than straw so will enrich the soil. It is, however, likely to contain more seeds than straw and may also contain pesticides. Cypress mulch also helps to prevent soil erosion thanks to its matting capability.
This relatively permanent mulch does nothing to improve soil quality, but it does deter pests and help prevent weeds. When dyed mulch is applied to your landscape, a curing period is recommended usually a hour period without coming in contact with water. Dyed mulches retain their bold color much longer than traditional, non-dyed mulches.
Dyed mulches are also available triple-ground, making the mulch much finer for easier spreading and a richer appearance.
Images: Mulch display , Bark mulch. The Schill Grounds Management pricing ebook addresses the price gap so you can get the service you expect at a fair price. Get your free copy today! Phone: Fax: Landscaping And Snow Removal Blog. Find me on: LinkedIn. Here are more than a handful worth noting: Mulch improves soil moisture retention and helps reduce watering needs. It insulates the soil against extreme temperature fluctuations, which helps protect the roots.
It can decompose naturally into the soil depending on mulch type , which can improve soil quality.
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