Spring in suburbia is evident via the large piles of mulch that other people dump in their driveways. While installing mulch seems like simple process, home owners use so much mulch on their landscape beds the player create an environment that is detrimental to the health of the plants which they are trying to nurture.
One can’t help but cringe when viewing a ‘volcano’ of mulch installed around a tree. Here we will discuss the proper methods of installing mulch and the various types of mulch to use (and not to use).
The function of mulch is to conserve moisture and inhibit weed boost in planting beds and foliage. Mulch is also beneficial in regulating soil temperatures; soil will stay cooler in the summer and warmer your past winter along with a layer of mulch. Organic mulches will also improve the soil quality when they start to break down. Mulch has also become a decorative factor in many panoramas. When installing mulch, follow these basic guidelines for the health of the plants:
– Organic more than 3-4″ in depth of thick mulch. When re-mulching, keep the overall depth under 4″ and consider even 2-3″ as plenty. Gather old mulch if necessary, or minimally break down the old mulch if it has 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 with the stem of plants- rather pull the mulch back several inches to make a mulch-free area around the leaves. Mulch piled against the stem to a plant can create rotting, and invites disease and damage from insects.
– 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 careful when using processed sewage sludge (Earthlife, Earthmate). While these are often the darkest of mulches, they are rich in nitrogen and should cause excessive growth and also burning of your plants. The products are best used being a soil amendment in limited quantities. Many tests show these products to contain heavy metals- so preserve it out of the vegetable patio or garden.
There are a variety of types of mulch available for purchase. Ground up hardwood, bark mulch, and dyed mulches are all popular. Pine bark, Cypress and pine straw tend to be more popular in south. Stone may also be used, and it is more maintenance actually term with cleaning debris from between the stones a major nuisance.
Cheap Georgia Mulch
3000 Trotters Pkwy, Alpharetta, GA 30004
(770) 637-9147
https://g.page/cheap-georgia-mulch
Posted on:
September 27, 2019