What to Look for in the Quality of Mulch

The variety of mulch materials that are available is matched by the applications that mulching is used for. It is important to match the type with the application for the best results. This is a brief overview prepared by the owners of Mulch It Now of what you need to look for.

Firstly, you need to consider what you want to achieve by mulching. For example, do you simply want to add a professional looking touch to areas of your garden, do you want to suppress weeds, do you need to address a soil erosion problem, or do you want to add nutrients to soil in preparation for planting fruits and vegetables? Each of these has their own particular mulch that is best for the purpose.

The simplest application for mulch is for aesthetic reasons. In this case, you do not want the mulch to have any other particular purpose, apart from looking good! This then gives you the opportunity to choose from the widest selection of mulch materials to achieve the particular look that you want. The two most popular choices are bark chippings or small pieces of rock. Both of these can come in a wide variety of colors to either compliment, or contrast with the natural colorings of your garden. If you have an excess of a particular type of tree, for example, and are having some of them taken down then these could be used to produce mulch that you can then use around your garden. This is ideal if you want to maintain the overall feel of your garden as it is. There are a number of companies who will produce the chips on-site, and this is the most environmentally friendly type of mulch available. You are in no doubt where the chippings have come from, so do not worry that they may have been sourced from non-sustainable forest areas. This is the ultimate in recycling. Of course, you can have wood chippings brought in if you do not have a few spare trees of your own. The advantage of using wood chippings is that it is biodegradable and will help protect your soil while adding nutrients. The downside is that it is often invaded by pests who also enjoy the protective warmth. Turning the chippings every month or so will help prevent this. There are also some more exotic types of organic mulch that you can use. These include cocoa shells, which give a wonderful scent to your garden. Pine needles may not be as exotic, but they also have a wonderful scent. They will also add valuable nutrients to the soil and have a very dramatic look when on the ground.

Small rocks, often called shingle, or pieces of colored slate are becoming increasingly popular for use as mulch. You can often buy bags of these at your local garden center, or have it delivered by weight. It is essential that you work out how much you need for the area to be mulched. Discuss the size of the area, as well as the depth with your supplier to make sure that you have enough. Mixed shingle is by far the cheapest type of stone to use, but you cannot choose a single color. Slates, or specific types of rock, are more expensive but they do give you the option of having an overall color theme. Need some help to select a more exotic mulching material please contact the folks at Mulch-it-Now.com. Purple slate or white granite are extremely popular. Rocks are only used as mulch for their appearance. They do not give any benefit to the underlying soil. Of course, this does mean that weeds are unable to grow through which is another benefit. However, if you have an area that has soil erosion problems then you may find that your stone mulch slips too. It is not suitable unless it is professionally installed and has barriers to prevent slippage. Shells have also become popular as a form of mulch in some areas, but again, as with basic shingle, you cannot easily specify a particular type of shell or color.

If you are planning to plant crops, then sheeting is a great option. It takes a lot less effort to spread as you simply lay it down on the intended area. You can buy two types of sheeting; biodegradable or non-biodegradable. Both of these work in the same basic way to prevent any unwanted weeds or plants from growing in between your crops. Some have perforations already cut in them to enable you to plant easily, while others allow you to cut them as you want. The non-biodegradable sheeting can be made from plastic or rubber and is easily removed when no longer needed. Biodegradable sheeting will decompose into the soil and can simply be dug in when you have finished with it, or it needs replacing.

Always check that you are using the best type of mulch for the particular purpose. However, it is also essential that you comply with any local environmental requirements. For example, if you intend to use leaves as mulch, you need to ensure that these are only used in areas where they will not be washed into the local drainage systems.

If you need help with the problem or decision making process of What to Look for When Hiring a Mulch Installer please read the article in Mulch It Now