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Of all the things that can make gardening easier, using mulch is one of the best. Adding mulch can reduce the amount of time spent weeding, watering and fertilizing, giving you more time to spend doing the gardening tasks you love.
Choosing the right type of mulch and knowing when and where to use it, however, is not always easy, and making a mistake can be costly. The following tips will help answer some of the most common questions gardeners have regarding the using, choosing and maintaining of mulch.
Types of Mulch
Mulch is basically any type of material that can be used to cover the soil in a garden. It can be organic material, such as bark, chips and compost, but it can also include materials such as rock, gravel and stone.
Why Use Mulch
The main benefit of using mulch is water retention. As water is absorbed into the mulch, it helps to keep the soil moist for longer periods of time thus ensuring more water is going to the roots of your garden plants. This equates to less time spent watering your plants as well as less water used.
Mulch also blocks light to those pesky weeds that are so determined to germinate in your garden. However, although mulch will help to slow weed growth, it can’t prevent it entirely, so while you will have to weed less often, you will still have to pull some weeds!
All organic mulch will eventually break down and add nutrients to the garden soil. This can reduce both time and money spent on fertilizing your garden.
In some areas where temperatures can fluctuate quite a bit, mulch can also help protect the roots of garden plants from undue stress.
And finally, mulch can add a lot of texture, color and scent to your garden to enhance its natural beauty.
What Type of Mulch to Choose?
If you are trying to revive an older garden and need to amend the soil, try to choose aged organic mulch. This type of mulch will break down faster to enrich the soil and encourage plant growth. You will need to replace it sooner than you would newer mulch, but the benefits will be well worth the extra cost.
If your soil is already healthy or you have recently added compost or fertilizer, its okay to choose newer mulch that will last longer. This might include fresh cut wood chips, sawdust or bark.
If you have a hillside garden you may want to consider stone mulch such as pea gravel or pebbles to help prevent soil from washing away down the slope.
For visual impact, there are many colored mulches to choose from that can provide interesting contrast in the garden. These mulches are colored with vegetable dyes and are perfectly safe for wildlife, pets and children. There is also mulch made from cocoa beans that is quite attractive and has a yummy chocolate scent. It may be harmful to dogs, however so reconsider its use if there are dogs around.
How Long will Mulch Last?
The length of time that mulch will last is generally determined by the age of the mulch and the size of the pieces. An aged mulch may need to be replaced each growing season, where as a new mulch should last two or three years.
The larger the pieces, the longer the mulch will last. For example, pine nuggets will last longer than shredded bark or compost.
Where to Avoid Mulch
As appealing as mulch may be, there are some areas where it should never be used. Mulch applied in swampy, damp or low lying areas will allow the soil to retain too much water, often resulting in plant rot or slug infestations.
Applying a stone or gravel mulch can sometimes retain too much heat for tender plants causing them to dry out and die off.
Whenever in doubt about the suitability of mulch for a particular location, be sure to consult a professional at your local garden center.
How Much Mulch?
A general rule of thumb for applying mulch is to keep it about 3 to 4 inches deep. Adding too little will not be as efficient at retaining moisture or preventing weed growth, but going too much deeper can sometimes impede proper root development.
Used properly, mulch can make your garden look beautiful, and save you time, money and energy.
Article supplied courtesy of MakeBakeCook.com where you can read lots of helpful cooking, baking and crafting tips as well as complete reviews on products such as Le Creuset Dutch Oven and the Lodge Dutch Oven.
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