More About Mulching

Mulch is any material that is spread over the soil as a covering. Reasons for applying mulch include conservation of soil moisture, improving fertility and health of the soil and reducing weed growth. In nature, plants that require mulch will grow where mulch, such as leaf litter, is available, and plants that don’t need mulch will grow where mulch is absent. Generally, healthy yards don’t need mulch. But, as a landscaper you often have to work with an unnatural situation: sun loving grass planted under trees, or woodland plants in dry and compacted soil. Some issues can be solved with the use of mulch. First we need to understand what mulches are available.

Rubber

These mulches are made of shredded tires and contain toxins that evaporate, and leak into the soil.

Stones

Stones, gravel, bricks etc. can be used for weed suppression and can be used to create paths and terrasses.

Wood Chips

Made from chopped up trees and branches. Natural color. Chunkier than shredded wood. Decomposes slowly.

Shredded Wood

Shredded lumber wood. Can have different colors. Decomposes quicker than chips. Can contain toxins.

Bark Mulch

Decomposes slowly, which makes it a good choice for pathways, but it can be washed away by rain.

Pine Needles

Pine needles are light, cheap and good for weed suppression. Only use for acid loving vegetation.

Leaf Litter

Leaf litter comes for free. It is terrific natural mulch, decomposes quickly and is beneficial for wildlife.

Hulls

Different types of hulls are available on the market as mulches. They can be good weed suppressors.

Living Mulch

Living mulch can be certain plantings or cover crops that grow, cover the soil, and protect against weeds.

Straw and Hay

Make sure there are no seeds. Straw and hay are easy and terrific fast decomposing mulches.

Why Mulch?

The first choice for a planting bed are good plants, good soil and compost and if available natural mulch like fall leaves. Commercial mulches can be good solutions for pathways, playgrounds. Used hay or wood chips from a cut tree can be used as well. If you have nutritionally depleted, poor or compacted soil, but you have no compost available to amend the soil, then mulches can be a good temporary solution to create protection and to restore the soil.

Create pathways and terrasses

To restore woodland plantings

To decompose and create humus

To help decomposition of tree stumps

To remove turf and create planting beds

For weed suppression in vegetable gardens

The Problem With Too Much Mulch

Some industries produce wood chips as a by-product, so wood chips are easy available. The biggest problem with wood chips, and other heavily applied mulches is that, not only do they prevent weeds, but they also smother plants with soft stems, and prevent plantings from spreading. The abundance of the use of wood chips has resulted in an omnipresent landscaping feature: trees and shrubs surrounded by wood mulch but absent of plants and flowers. This type of landscaping isn’t very appealing, but more important, it offers very little opportunity for pollinators or insect-eating birds.

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