Using mulch in your garden may be something you’ve been doing for years but did you know that making mulching mistakes can cause a ripple effect on your entire landscape/garden? Poor mulching can quickly result in more erosion, uncontrolled water runoff, moisture loss, and excess weeds.
Here are some tips on what to do and what not to do.
Do’s
- Use it as an accent
Besides creating healthy lawns, mulching can beautify your landscape. Colored mulch, for example, can complement your house’s exterior colors. You could also use it to contrast flowers and boost your landscape theme.
- Consider your entire landscape
An ideal landscape should have shrubs that cover much of the soil. The goal is to have strong vegetative coverage and then use mulch to control moisture loss.
- Clean it out
Take out any old mulch that has built up over time. Re-mulching your bed can help you get rid of the old stuff for a better look and healthier plants.
- Different thicknesses
Thin out the edges to get the right balance for your landscape.
- Try organic mulch
Try different options when updating your beds. Choose from the vast collection of textures to give your landscape a fresh touch and give your plants more nutrients with organic ingredients.
Don’ts
- Ignore bare soil
Sediment runoff and erosion thrive in properties with bare soil. While mulching, ensure that you cover any signs of bare ground.
- Use too little or too much
The right amount conserves moisture and takes care of weeds in your landscape. Three inches for beds will do just fine. A very deep layer could limit the oxygen supply to plant roots.
- Forget trees
If you have younger trees, protect their trunks with mulch around the base.
- Assume you need anything underneath
Contrary to popular opinion, a layer of plastic or geotextiles beneath the mulch could encourage water runoff. Also, such material could affect your landscape’s clean, streamlined look.
- Use bad mulch
Products from unreliable sources can cause more harm than good for your property. Ensure that your mulch is free from toxic weed seeds. Find a source that doesn’t stockpile their products near fields of weeds.
Find a Reliable Mulch Source
Do you need reliable mulch sources for your compound? Visit retailers who sell Edrich Lumber products. You can also contact our landscaping retailers who deliver Edrich products to you and even install them if you’d like. The rewards of using Edrich products will be evident in your landscape.