| Each spring piles of smelly, smoldering mulch | | | | bark mulches available in many colors & sizes. |
| appear in every neighborhood. How much do you | | | | Match the size of your chunks to the size of your |
| need? What type is best for your landscape and | | | | landscaping. If you have a small house and yard |
| garden? When and how should you apply? | | | | with dainty flowers, use small bark pieces. If you |
| Whether you mulch yourself, or have landscapers | | | | have a large home with mature plantings, then |
| mulch for you, it's important to know the | | | | the larger nuggets will look great. |
| answers to these questions. | | | | - My second favorite type of mulch is Pine |
| Mulch not only looks nice in our gardens and | | | | Needles, but it's a regional product that's hard to |
| landscapes, it also helps control weeds and | | | | find in my area. If you have access to pine |
| conserves water. When organic mulch is used, it | | | | needles and like the woodland look I highly |
| will enrich the soil as well. | | | | recommend them. They last two to four seasons |
| When mulching in the spring, make sure to wait | | | | are provide nutrients to your plantings. |
| until the ground has warmed. If you mulch too | | | | Now that I've shared my favorite types of mulch, |
| early in the spring your perennials will break their | | | | here are some tips for the application: |
| winter dormancy too early. This could cause them | | | | - As a rule, the bigger the mulch chunks, the |
| to grow less, flower less, and maybe even die. So | | | | longer they last. Soft or green materials, such as |
| we want the ground to stay cold until it really is | | | | leaves or grass clippings, break down faster than |
| springtime. When your plants are perky and | | | | dry woody elements, such as straw, pine needles, |
| green, then that's the time to mulch. | | | | or bark. Stone or gravel last an eternity. In |
| To protect plants from cold harsh winters, mulch | | | | general, mulches with heavy or large pieces are |
| in the late fall, when the ground is nice and cold | | | | more likely to stay put. Those that form a mat, |
| and your plants' roots have begun their dormancy | | | | such as leaves and pine needles, are usually stable, |
| period. | | | | too. |
| Water evaporates more slowly from soil that is | | | | - Steer clear of wood chips that are a byproduct |
| protected from the wind and sun by mulch. So If | | | | of the timber industry. The quality can vary and |
| you mulch, you don't have to water as much, | | | | often includes recycled wood from pallets and |
| saving time, money, and a precious resource. Ah - | | | | construction. These materials may contain toxins |
| it's good to be green. However, if your area ever | | | | that could cause terrible damage to your soil and |
| experiences heavy rains watch your landscape for | | | | plants. |
| any soggy, puddled spots. If they don't disappear | | | | - If you need to cover a large area, try to buy in |
| in a day or too, rake off some of the mulch and | | | | bulk. When evaluating cost, remember to factor in |
| let soil dry. | | | | how long the material will last. |
| One negative potential side effect of mulching is | | | | - Dark-color mulches will absorb and retain more |
| that slugs, worms, and other bothersome bugs | | | | heat from the sun than lighter ones. That's an |
| love cool, moist, dark places. To minimize bugs in | | | | advantage in cooler regions but a disadvantage in |
| areas that don't get much sunlight, use only a thin | | | | hotter climates. |
| layer of mulch. | | | | - Light and heat reflected from a light-color mulch |
| And always keep the mulch several inches away | | | | (particularly decorative landscaping types, such as |
| from the base of your plants. Your plants need to | | | | white stones) can dangerously overheat |
| breathe! | | | | surrounding plants. |
| A positive attribute of mulching is that raindrops | | | | - Wear long pants, sleeved shirts, and gloves |
| won't hit the soil surface, so soil is less likely to | | | | when mulch especially if you have and cuts or |
| wash away or splash onto plants. This keeps | | | | sores. Mulch can have a very high level of |
| plants cleaner and free of some soil-dwelling | | | | bacteria when it's wet. ER doctors have told me |
| diseases. If your soil is dry, water it before | | | | that they see TONS of bad infections every year |
| applying mulch and don't forget to pull any weeds. | | | | caused in the garden by mulch. If you are a math |
| There are so many types - and determining | | | | junkie, use this formula: |
| which on is for you can be confusing. I advise | | | | 1. First, find out the size of the area you want to |
| asking a local expert, your extension office can | | | | cover in square feet. This is easy; just multiply |
| help. | | | | the length of your garden by the width. |
| To help you match the right mulch to your | | | | 2. Next, decide how deep you want your mulch |
| garden, here's an overview of the types of mulch | | | | to be, in inches. A couple of inches is usually |
| available: | | | | sufficient. |
| - If you prefer homemade mulch, try using | | | | 3. Now multiply the size of your garden in square |
| shredded leaves and dried grass clippings. Since | | | | feet (#1) by the depth of your mulch in inches |
| these materials are abundant and FREE they are | | | | (#2). |
| perfect for a no frills garden. But take caution - | | | | 4. Divide the number you get in #3 by 324. This |
| these types of mulch can heat up or mold if too | | | | is the number of cubic yards of mulch you will |
| thick. Try to spread no thicker than 2 inches. | | | | need to cover your garden. |
| - Newspaper is great for budget-tight gardening. | | | | Mulching your flower and vegetable beds will |
| Use a layer of 5 sheets thick underneath a thin | | | | drastically reduce the amount of time spent |
| layer of attractive store bought mulch. | | | | weeding, watering and fighting pests. Mulch also |
| - Shredded bark is my favorite. I use Pine | | | | improves the appearance of your garden, and |
| nuggets bark in my landscaping because it's | | | | keeps dirt from splashing up on your flowers and |
| durable, attractive, inexpensive, and smells great | | | | vegetables when it rains. So I say, mulch away! |
| all year long. I pay $3-$4/bag. There are lots of | | | | |