How to Keep Landscaping Fresh with Landscape Mulch

One of the easiest and most affordable ways to improve your property is to freshen up your landscaping mulch. It can bring new life to an older garden bed or add an accent to your property. With the variety of mulch types available, there’s always something available for each property type. But did you know there is a right way and a wrong way to mulch?

Why Use Mulch?

For landscaping, the number one reason mulch is used is for appearance. It draws attention to your plants with contrasting colors and looks better than dirt. Furthermore, colored mulch can provide an accent to the exterior of your home, patio, or surrounding pavers.

Mulch also has a functional purpose as well – it provides a protective layer to your soil. To start, it provides a barrier so weeds can’t sprout. If weeds do sprout, they are easier to pull since the mulch provides a protective layer before they are able to reach the soil. Mulch also insulates the soil against extreme temperatures (which protects your plants) and it slows soil erosion which can be caused by the elements.

Types of Mulch

In general, there are two types of mulch: organic and inorganic. Organic mulches are meant to degrade over time and break down – like shredded bark mulch. Inorganic mulches won’t degrade easily and are meant to be more permanent – like stone or rock.

With organic and inorganic mulches, there are a variety of colors and options to choose from. Depending on your specific needs, each mulch is better suited for different types of areas. Keep in mind that organic mulches need to be replaced every 1-2 years and are ideal for areas that need more yearly maintenance – like hosta beds. Inorganic beds need less maintenance but are better suited for areas that won’t be touched as often.

A newly landscaped flowerbed with flat rocks, orange pebbles, a rose bush, Snapdragon flowers, dark mulch, and a stone bench.

When and How to Mulch for Optimal Landscapes

According to a recent Washing Post article, most Americans are mulching wrong. And in order to keep your landscaping fresh, it’s important to make sure you are mulching the correct way. Mulching incorrectly can cause you more problems in the future than you might expect.

To begin, areas that are mulched need to be prepared before the mulch is laid down. This can include killing weeds, trimming bushes, splitting plants, cleaning up or installing edging, and raking the area smoothly.

Knowing how much mulch you need can also be important. If you are hiring a landscaping company, they will come in and calculate the square footage of the area so they can bring in the correct amount of mulch. A general rule of thumb is to use one cubic yard of mulch to cover 100 square feet. And, if you’re using organic mulch, 2-3 inches need to be applied to the mulched areas. If using inorganic mulch, a thinner layer can be applied.

It’s important to make sure that when you mulch, you don’t mulch too close to plants, shrubs, or trees. For trees, mulch should be pulled away slightly from the tree trunk to prevent decay on the base of the tree. For plants, mulch should be pulled past the drip line – where the plants would normally drip water if they were being watered.

And the biggest mistake to avoid is to purchase mulch from an unreliable source! Bad mulch can contain weeds or other natural elements that can give you a headache for years to come.

If you’re concerned about mulching correctly or just don’t want to do it yourself , contact us for a free no-hassle estimate today!