Spring in suburbia is evident from your large piles of mulch that your neighbors dump in their driveways. While installing mulch seems like a simple process, many homeowners use so much mulch on their landscape beds which create an environment that is detrimental to the health of the plants which they attempt to nurture.
One can’t help but cringe when viewing a ‘volcano’ of mulch installed around a tree. Ideas will discuss correct methods of installing mulch and the different types of mulch to use (and not to use).
The purpose of mulch would be to conserve moisture and inhibit weed growth in planting beds and trees. Mulch is also beneficial in regulating soil temperatures; soil will stay cooler in the summer and warmer your past winter with a layer of mulch. Organic mulches will improve the soil quality when he break down. Mulch has also developed into a decorative consider many landscapes. When installing mulch, follow these basic guidelines for the health of the plants:
– Never use more than 3-4″ in depth of thick mulch. When re-mulching, keep whole depth under 4″ and consider even 2-3″ as plenty. Eliminate the old mulch if necessary, or not less than break within the old mulch if it has become matted. Too much mulch is worse than no thick mulch. Excessive mulch may dry out the upper root zone of plants and cause plant roots to grow upwards in the mulch.
– Never pile mulch directly around the stem of plants- rather pull the mulch back several inches to produce a mulch-free area around the stem. Mulch piled against the stem of a plant might cause rotting, and invites disease and insect damage.
– Weed barrier under mulch often causes more problems than benefits. The inhibition water and oxygen are two major concerns. Also, weeds will eventually root in the mulch and into the weed barrier, causing big problems as soon as the weeds are pulled.
– Be cautious when using processed sewage sludge (Earthlife, Earthmate). While these normally the darkest of mulches, they are rich in nitrogen and tend to cause excessive growth as well burning of the plants. These items are best used as a soil amendment in limited quantities. Many tests show these products to contain heavy metals- so preserve it out of the vegetable gardener.
There are plenty of types of mulch to select from. Ground up hardwood, bark mulch, and dyed mulches are preferred. Pine bark, Cypress and pine straw are definitely popular a south. Stone may be also used, having said that it is more maintenance in the long term with cleaning debris from in between the stones a critical nuisance.
Cheap Georgia Mulch
3000 Trotters Pkwy, Alpharetta, GA 30004
(770) 637-9147