Spring in suburbia is evident together with large piles of mulch that your neighbors dump in their driveways. While installing mulch seems like a simple process, property owners use so much mulch on their landscape beds that they create an environment that is detrimental to the health of the plants which they try to nurture.
One can’t help but cringe when viewing a ‘volcano’ of mulch installed around a tree. Here we will discuss the actual methods of installing mulch and the different types of mulch to use (and not to use).
The function of mulch would be to conserve moisture and inhibit weed development in planting beds and foliage. Mulch is also valuable in regulating soil temperatures; soil will stay cooler typically the summer and warmer your winter with a layer of mulch. Organic mulches furthermore improve dirt quality when they start to break down. Mulch has also be a decorative aspect in many areas. When installing mulch, follow these basic guidelines for your health of your plants:
– Never use more than 3-4″ in depth of mulch. When re-mulching, keep complete depth under 4″ and consider even 2-3″ as plenty. Gather old mulch if necessary, or at least break inside the old mulch if more affordable become matted. Too much mulch is worse than no mulch. Excessive mulch may dry out the upper root zone of plants and cause plant roots to grow upwards into the mulch.
– Never pile mulch directly against the stem of plants- rather pull the mulch back several inches to create a mulch-free area around the establish. Mulch piled against the stem of a plant can create rotting, and invites disease and damage from insects.
– Weed barrier under mulch often causes more problems than benefits. The inhibition of water and oxygen are two major concerns. Also, weeds will eventually root into the mulch and into the weed barrier, causing big problems when the weeds are pulled.
– Use caution when using processed sewage sludge (Earthlife, Earthmate). While these typically the darkest of mulches, they likewise rich in nitrogen and tend to cause excessive growth and in many burning of the plants. These items are best used as the soil amendment in limited quantities. Many tests show these products to contain heavy metals- so keeping it out of one’s vegetable wooden.
There a variety of types of mulch available for purchase. Ground up hardwood, bark mulch, and dyed mulches are preferred. Pine bark, Cypress and pine straw will popular globe south. Stone may be also used, but it is more maintenance in the long term with cleaning debris from in between the stones an additional nuisance.
Cheap Georgia Mulch
3000 Trotters Pkwy, Alpharetta, GA 30004
(770) 637-9147