Did you know that mulching is scientifically proven to conserve moisture, improve soil nutrient levels, suppress weeds, and even remove the residual effects of pesticides?
If you're thinking of investing in flower bed mulch for your yard, this is a savvy move. Not only will you improve the soil quality, have to water less, and carry out less weeding, but yard mulch can also up the attractiveness of any garden.
However, before you press go on a big order of flower bed mulch, it's very important that you know about the different types of mulch. This way you can compare your mulch options and pick a garden mulch that's perfect for your needs.
Read on to learn about the different types of mulch that are available, and what they're suited for.
Wood and Bark Chips
One of the most popular and versatile types of mulch is wood and bark chips. Wood chips and bark chips are long-lasting mulch options that can suppress weeds, look highly attractively, and add nutrients to your flower beds as they decompose.
One of the most common types of wood chip mulch is pine. Pine chips are ideal for mulching under large trees and areas with hardy plants.
However, they can slightly lower the pH of the soil, so you might want to opt for hardwood chips or bark in areas with rare or sensitive plants.
When shopping for wood chips or bark chip mulch, make sure you always get dried or mature mulch options. Do not buy flower bed mulch made from green wood, as this can leach nitrogen out of your beds while it breaks down.
Also, keep in mind that larger pieces of mulch last longer. If you want to get as many months or years out of your garden bed mulch as possible, don't opt for very fine mulch options, instead, choose courser grades.
Compost
Compost is another popular flower bed mulch option. Compost is very nutrient-rich and will add organic to your garden beds, helping to lighten and improve the soil.
However, it is not the most long-lasting if used as mulch on its own. Ideally, we would usually recommend that homeowners invest in compost for garden beds that need soil improvement, and add a more durable flower bed mulch on top of this.
Compost is also not as effective at combatting weed growth as other mulch options. In fact, some compost can even contain weed seeds if it is not well-matured or fully broken down.
Well-matured compost can deter certain weed seeds that are already in your garden beds from sprouting. However, you will need to apply a very thick layer of compost to choke out weed seed germination. Too thin, and the compost might even fertilize new weeds to grow.
Reports state that homeowners in the US spend 4 hours a month pulling weeds. If you use the right mulch, you could cut weeding time down significantly.
Stones
Stones are another solid mulch option (excuse the pun). Stones do not break down, which means they are far more long-lasting than bark, wood chips, or compost. Mulching with stones can also add an interesting element to your landscape design.
However, stones don't add nutrients to the soil or create a microbe-rich biome in the top layer.
If placed in sunny areas around delicate plants, rock mulch can also cause scorching if conditions get hot.
Need Help Choosing Flower Bed Mulch?
Are you still unsure what flower bed mulch to use?
If so, the best thing to do is consult a landscaping professional. Here at Scott's Landscaping, no job is too big or too small for us. Whether you want large-scale landscaping construction or just a bit of comprehensive garden maintenance done, we can help.
Contact us today to discuss your garden mulch needs.
