The US Department of Agriculture endorses the use of mulch because it helps provide a better growing environment.
Are you trying to spruce up your landscaping and provide your plants with a better environment? Gardening with mulch has many benefits besides making your landscaping and garden look nice.
Learn about choosing the right mulch and other mulch tips with these great gardening tips.
Gardening Tips: Improve Your Growing Environment
What type of garden do you have? Are improving your front landscaping for curb appeal? Are you planting a vegetable garden? No matter what you’re growing, all gardens benefit from using mulch. Let’s take a look at the benefits of using mulch in your garden and how to choose and use the right mulch.
Benefits of Using Mulch
Mulch has many benefits aside from aesthetics. What are some of the most common ones?
- Mulch helps the soil retain moisture.
- When organic mulch breaks down, it makes the soil healthier.
- Certain varieties of mulch, like cypress, cedar or pine, repel bugs such as fleas, ticks, and gnats.
- Mulch helps control and combat weeds.
- Mulch keeps the soil from eroding.
- It also moderates the temperature of the soil, keeping it warmer on cold nights and cooler on hot days.
Choosing the Right Mulch
Choosing mulch depends largely on your personal preference and budget. If you want to keep things organic, avoid dyed mulch.
Consider the climate where you live. If you’re in a hot climate, choose a mulch that will cool the soil, like shredded leaves or straw.
If your summers are cool and wet, do not use a mulch that will retain water, like wood chips. You’ll end up with yellowing plants from too much moisture.
Plastic mulch is great for areas where you need to raise the temperature of your soil. It can be applied in early spring when the ground is still cold from the winter in the northeast.
How to Spread Mulch
Before you even think about laying down mulch, make sure the area is weed-free. Once you have all of the weeds removed, lay the mulch thick enough to combat and discourage new weed growth.
A 4 to 6-inch layer works well to keep away weeds. In shaded areas, 2 to 3-inches is sufficient.
When placing mulch around trees and shrubs, keep it from directly touching the trunk. Six inches away is recommended.
In the spring when perennials and bulbs are re-emerging, pull the mulch back to encourage faster growth.
How Does Your Garden Grow?
Now that you’ve learned some gardening tips and what mulch can do for your landscape design and garden, be sure to contact us for all of your mulch needs.
We at We Supply Mulch Corporation offer mulch delivery by the truckload or you can stop in and get what you need. We also carry firewood for your fire pits and pizza ovens.
We are a family-owned and operated company. We are eco-friendly and USDA Organic. Check out our selection of mulch today.