Gravel can sometimes mix with the underlying soil if not applied thickly, encouraging surface weeds. It is not uncommon for the white fungal mycelium of harmless saprophytic fungi to be found in soil that has been covered or enriched with an organic mulch. This is nothing to worry about and there is no need to dig out the mulch or white fungal growth.
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Plant health. Take part in our research. Meet the team. Shop plants rhsplants. Shopping with the RHS. Mulch helps reduce soil erosion and soil compaction. Mulch helps maintain optimal soil temperatures by creating a barrier from the heat and cold. Mulch helps increase soil nutrition as it decomposes by improving soil structure, thus providing better drainage and better use of nutrients.
Mulch helps reduce weeds that can steal nutrients from your plants and lets face it, weeds are ugly and unwanted. Mulch helps protect shallow-root plants from freeze damage and frost-heave. Like what you've read? Subscribe to our blog! This Post Has 5 Comments. Helpful info, thanks for sharing! Leave a Comment. Proud Co-Op Partner.
Organic matter also improves soil drainage over time. This is why I only recommend natural and biodegradable mulch materials. Reduces Landfill Waste — Many mulches are materials which would otherwise end up in the landfill. Wood products, leaves, pine bark — these are all too often considered trash.
Some of the greatest benefits of mulch come as a result of decomposition. The material should also come from a sustainable source. The smaller the materials are, the faster they decompose. In my garden beds — especially my raised vegetable beds — I want a material which will break down quickly.
So, I can amend the bed with compost without having to pull back the mulch layer. In walking paths, I prefer to use larger hardwood mulch. Hardwood is slower to break down than softer woods, like pine, and the larger pieces will also need to be replenished less often. This picture from the GardenFarm shows the large hardwood chips I use in pathways and the finely-ground wood mulch I sometimes use in my vegetable beds. When you purchase mulch, know what you are buying.
Dyed mulch is a great example. These products typically use food grade coloring. The issue is that those colored mulches are often made of chipped shipping pallets. Many shipping pallets are treated with a toxic insecticide, methyl bromide, to kill insects which might be hitching a ride into the U. Pallets which reach the end of their use are ground up, dyed to look nice, and sold on the market as mulch. So although they may look pretty, avoid dyed mulches. I also recommend against cypress mulch products.
These tend to be popular because cypress is long-lasting. These products usually come from wild cypress forests. Too often, these trees are cut down specifically for use as mulch, and it takes decades for trees to mature. Louisiana and Florida cypress forests are in serious states of decline, yet they continue to be harvested as a mulch source. There are just so many more environmentally-responsible options to choose from.
Avoid cypress mulch products. If you need more than 27 bags or so to mulch your landscape, consider buying in bulk.
It will be less expensive, and many bulk mulch suppliers will deliver to your property. Another benefit to buying in bulk is that the material tends to be locally sourced, so it has a lower carbon footprint. If you do buy in bulk, a little homework on the source is still a good idea. Ask the supplier where they get their material. I was once all set to buy from a local supplier when a casual conversation revealed that their heaps of wood mulch came not only from area tree service companies a good resource but also from area work crews demolishing old play sets, decks and other wood structures.
It was the thought of all that construction material that stopped my purchase cold. Those structures are typically built with treated wood, and one of the primary chemicals in older treated wood is arsenic.
The chemicals are then released through all the exposed areas of the wood chips. I found a different supplier. Speaking of ground up building materials, dyed mulch products are also known to include demolition byproducts and treated wood. Sometimes, I want to shout about my love of leaves from the rooftops. I collect them every fall — not only from my yard, but from friends and neighbors too.
I even offer to pick up bagged leaves destined for the landfill with posts on local social media sites. Once I get them home, I spread them out and run over them with a mulching mower.
Mine has a bagger attachment, so I can dump the ground leaves directly into a garden bed or a storage container. Protects plants from heavy rain. The protective interlocking nature of mulch protects and helps bind together the plant structure. Prevents erosion and soil compaction particularly from foot traffic on pathways and play areas. Improves the visual appearance of your garden. Especially if you use a beautiful coloured mulch. We love to hear from you so please either share this with your friends or you can email us any questions you might have.
We hope you enjoyed our 20 Reasons for Mulch. I had no idea that mulching your garden could help prevent weeds.
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