To Mulch Or Not to Mulch?

It’s that time of year again!  Well, actually we’re right in the middle of it.  Yep, mulching season!

You’re probably asking yourself the following questions:

1.  Why should I mulch and for what reason?                                                                   

2.  Should I put new mulch down every year?

3.  How much mulch do I need?

4.  How thick should the layer of mulch be?

5.  What kind of mulch should I use?

All great questions, and if you want your yard to have a really nice clean and fresh look, mulching is certainly the way to go!  But there are many other reasons to mulching the flower beds as well as around the trees in your yard.

Remember taking a whole day or two to pull those pesky weeds and plant those beautiful flowers?  Mulching can help keep those weeds from coming back up.  Weeds are tough to get rid of all together, but with the use of a weed barrier and a 3” layer of mulch (1”- 4” is recommended), you are one step or maybe     more, ahead of the game!  It’s also a good idea to do pull as many weeds out as possible before putting the weed barrier or mulch down!

When mulching around the trees, do NOT pile the mulch up the tree trunk!  Mulch around a tree should not be deep around the base of the tree trunk so as not to suffocate it!

Mulch helps soil to stay moist, which will help your flowers grow.  Early spring mulch applications will help keep the soil cool through summer for your spring flowers.  If you have a flower bed in a full-sun area, mulching when the temperature warms up will help maintain the warm soil temperature for your sun-loving plants and flowers.  Mulch also protect your plants’ roots over the winter.  Frost can damage roots if they are not properly protected, and living in the northeast, we are guaranteed frost!

For year-to-year mulching, it is a good idea to remove as much of the old mulch as possible.  Some people may choose to till the old mulch up or throw the new over the old, but keeping the old mulch can cause rot, nutrient depletion, and possibly plant death.  If you choose to leave some of the old mulch down, fill to 3 inches.  You do not need to add another 3 inches on top.

Now you just need to decide which type of mulch to use.  There are many different kinds of mulch to choose from.  We recommend a non-dyed Premium Triple Cut Mulch. This type of mulch suppresses weeds and prevents weed germination.

Easy-peasy right?

Here are some great before and after pictures of the work our guys did this week!

 

To make things even easier, just give us a call and let us do the job for you!