Mulch Types
A Quick Guide to Mulch Types
It doesn’t matter whether you have a huge vegetable garden or just a few flowers, increasing your knowledge of mulch types and using them correctly can increase the beauty and productivity of your garden.
Mulching is one of the gardening activities which really has a positive impact on a garden. There are many benefits of mulches. For one thing, they keep the soil moist so that plants stay hydrated even if the weather gets dry. All of the mulch types stop weeds from growing, which means you spend less time weeding. They also keep the plants cool in the heat of summer and warm in the winter cold. Mulches make the garden look neat and clean.
Mulches keep the top of the soil from crusting over and prevent it from compacting. Organic mulches are the best because when they disintegrate, they add nutrients to the soil. Mulch types which are not organic still have some advantages.
Organic mulches include such natural matter as wood chips, grass clippings, leaves and bark. Mulches which are not organic include black plastic, fabrics, gravel, stones and pebbles. The problem with inorganic materials is that they do not ever decompose and so the soil receives no nutrients. A mulch that disintegrates mixes into the top soil and feeds the plants.
Grass clippings can be used as mulch although they disintegrate quickly. Don’t use green clippings but let them dry out. If you treat your lawn with herbicides or pesticides, do not use them as mulch in a vegetable garden. Hay doesn’t make a good mulch material because of the number of weeds that are mixed in with it. Straw is a good mulch but you have to replace it more often than other materials.
Leaves make for great mulch as long as you get the right consistency. It’s best to use a shredder to chop them up. You also do not want to spread them too thickly or you will prevent water from getting to the plants.
Mulch types which come from pine trees are bark and needles. You can cover the ground with two to three inches of either and have good results. If you live in an area where there are a lot of termites, you might want to use pine needles instead of pine bark. Needles also add acid to the soil.
If you take the time to look at other people’s gardens, you will see that wood chips are one of the most popular mulches. Wood chips stop weeds from growing plus they are a good insulating material. They can also serve as an invitation to termites to come and eat so watch out for that problem.
Flower gardeners often use plants as ground cover. These spread out and are attractive with all of the same qualities of other mulches. Some of these include periwinkle, ivy or mondo grass.
When it comes to mulch types which are inorganic, black plastic is one of the most popular, especially in vegetable gardens. You can plant vegetable seeds much earlier under black plastic. Some people even make holes in it where they place their plants. It won’t last too long in the hot sun and is best used in the cool spring weather as the first mulch of the season.
You can buy such mulch types as woven cloth, which do not decompose but they let water and air inside. Hard materials such as crushed stone and pebbles often look good in flower gardens, particularly large ones. Some people even use aluminum foil or aluminum-coated plastics which may not be beautiful but totally prevent weed growth and keep the plants insulated.
Mulch your plants in the spring after planting and then again when they are around a foot high. Make sure you have weeded before mulching. If you don’t plan to make your own mulch, do some comparative shopping in the spring when garden materials have the best prices. You should purchase enough for the summer while it is readily available.