Adding mulch to your landscape is one of the most beneficial things that you can do for your yard. If you properly mulch your yard, you can protect the trees and plant life from harsh elements.
There are many different types of mulch, which gives you the ability to choose a kind that will compliment your landscape.
Types of Mulch
There are two main categories of mulch: organic and inorganic. Organic mulch comes from natural resources such as woodchips, pine needles, hard or softwood bark, leaves, and compost mix among other styles. Given that organic mulches are made of natural materials, they will decompose at varying rates in your landscape.
Inorganic mulch, such as different types of stones, lava rock, pulverized rubber, and other materials do not decompose. Since these materials won’t fade away, you won’t need to replenish them nearly as often. However, the downside of inorganic mulch is that it doesn’t improve the soil structure or bump up nutrients in the soil through decomposition.
Benefits of Proper Mulching
Mulching your yard helps protect the roots of your trees and flowers. Blanketing soil with organic material helps reduce the loss of soil moisture through evaporation and can help minimize weed germination and growth. Retaining moisture and reducing weed growth will help maximize flowering and plant beauty throughout the entire year, making your yard the relaxing oasis that you intended it to be.
The best benefit that mulching provides is the protection that it offers the plants. It inhibits certain plant diseases, improves the soil biology, aeration, and structure, and it insulates the soil. All of these great benefits keep your plants protected against the elements and help your plants grow and flourish.
Don’t Over Mulch!
Improper mulching can be very detrimental to plant life as it can cause an unbalance in the natural moisture and pH levels in the soil. When mulching a yard, you should only have an even spread of 2 to 4 inches of mulch covering your plants and trees.
Too much mulch can trap excess moisture on the roots, causing stress on the plant and root rot. Excessive mulch can become a haven for rodents and bugs, which can harm the trees and plants, and it can also give off pungent odors that are toxic to plants.
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