Cypress Mulch

Cypress Mulch
Cypress mulch is commonly available at garden centers and home
improvement stores. It is golden yellow and color and, because of its
already light color, does not really fade as much as other types of
mulch. It provides a good barrier to weeds and is a good choice for
creating a layer of mulch requiring little maintenance.

Manure
The manure you used to add texture and nutrients to your garden
may also serve as your mulch. Just remember to compost the
manure for at least six months before using it. Not only is this
important in order to prevent damaging your plants, it also makes it
less likely that weed seeds in the manure will grow.

Wood Chips
Wood chips can often be obtained for a nominal fee from utility
companies, arborists, and municipal yard waste facilities. It can also
be purchased from most home improvement stores and garden
centers. Wood chips, which are made from different sized pieces of
wood and bark, last for a very long time and are also great for laying
on paths and walkways. A two to three inch layer will provide your
garden with excellent weed control.
Exercise caution when purchasing wood chips, however, because
smaller wood chips may decompose quickly. As they decompose,
they take nitrogen from the soil, which you will need to replace with
nitrogen fertilizers or other additives. Wood chips may also attract
termites and other insects. It is also best to stay away from colored
wood chips. Colored wood chips may look attractive, but they do
not retain water like natural wood chips and do not break down andadd nutrients to your soil.

Leafmold_ Leaves_Pine Needles

Leafmold
Leafmold can either be acquired from a municipal composting facility
or you can choose to make your own. To make your own, you simply
need to gather leaves in the autumn and allow them to decompose
over the winter. Then, apply them to your garden in the spring.
Exercise caution when using leaf mold as a mulch, however, because it
has a tendency to create a crust that prevents water from getting to
your soil. Therefore, you may need to stir it occasionally with a rake
in order to prevent this from happening. It is, however, an excellent
amendment to your soil.

Leaves
Instead of using leafmold, you may choose to use freshly fallen leaves
as a mulch. To do this, you should first chop the leaves up with your
lawnmower because whole leaves tend to blow away. At the same
time, you do not want the leaves to be finely shredded because this
will prevent water from penetrating adequately.
After chopping the leaves, apply a two to three inch thick layer on
your garden in order to get maximum weed control. Beech and oak
leaves are excellent for helping make your soil more acidic.
Regardless of the leaves you use, they will improve your soil as they
decompose. Once they have decomposed, mix them into your soil
and add a new layer to add the best nutrients to your ground.
Pine Needles
Another readily available natural mulch is pine needles. Pine needles
can be an attractive mulch as they are fluffy and light colored. They
also allow water to penetrate quite easily. Pine needles are a
particularly good mulch for acid loving plants like rhododendrons,
azaleas, and blueberries. In addition, they provide a great cushioning
effect on garden paths and create a lovely pine scent when walked
on. Generally, a two inch layer of pine needles is sufficient.

Pecan Shells & Lawn Clippings

Pecan Shells
Pecan shells are long lasting and quite attractive. They are dark
brown in color and are highly effective in helping the soil retain its
moisture. If you do not live in an area where pecans are processed,
however, you may have a difficult time finding them for your garden.

Lawn Clippings
Everyone has lawn clippings! And, they also make a great mulch.
Lawn clippings are great for keeping on your lawn, as they provide
nutrients to your lawn’s soil. They can, however, also be collected and
used in your garden.
If you do choose to use lawn clippings as a mulch in your garden, it is
best to wait until the lawn clippings have dried out before you using
them. If you apply them while they are still fresh, then will become
compacted and will generate heat as they decompose. This can cause
damage to your plants.
When applying grass clippings as a garden mulch, you should create a
layer that is about two inches thick. This will provide you with
optimum weed control if you have already sufficiently removed all
weeds before adding the mulch. You may want to build up the layers
of grass clipping mulch over time in order to prevent using fresh
clippings or clippings that have not been adequately dried. If you use
fresh clippings, it will create a solid mat of mulch over your garden.
Lawn clippings can let off a scent for the first week or two as they
decompose, even after they have been dried. After this period has
passed, the scent will subside. You should also avoid using grass
clippings if your lawn has been treated with fungicides, pesticides, or
herbicides because these chemicals can have a negative impact onyour plants.

Mulch & Hull

Crushed Corncobs
Crushed corncobs are an inexpensive type of mulch that has an
excellent cushioning effect. In fact, they are often used on
playgrounds as well. You can usually purchase crushed corncobs in
their natural state or dyed.
n Hay
Hay is often used in farm and rural gardens because it is generally
readily available and inexpensive. Using aged bales of hay can further
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improve its ability to reduce weed growth. Fresh hay, on the other
hand, can actually encourage weed growth because it usually contains
weed seeds. Hay should not be applied to the garden until after the
ground has become warmed. Otherwise, voles and mice may tunnel
under it to keep warm.
n Spent Hops
Spent hops are often readily available from breweries. They can be
somewhat smelly after they are first applied to the garden, but the
scent will go away in a few weeks.
n Buckwheat Hulls
Buckwheat hulls are a fluffy type of mulch. They are excellent for use
around annual and perennial flowers.
n Cocoa-bean Hulls
Cocoa-bean hulls provide a rich, brown color to your garden and
smell like tasty chocolate. If you choose to use cocoa-bean hulls as a
mulch, you should only apply a thin layer. Otherwise, they may
become moldy and slimy. If you do apply a layer that is more than
three inches thick, you should rake the mulch on occasion in order
to stir the hulls. This will help reduce the amount of dampness they
retain and make it less likely for mold to grow.
n Peanut Hulls
Peanut hulls can often be purchased at garden centers or directly
from peanut growers and peanut processors. Peanut hulls are
excellent for the garden because they provide nitrogen to the soil asthey break down.

Compost as Mulch

Compost as Mulch
Even your compost can serve as a mulch for your garden. When
used in this way, it is often referred to as native mulch. Since
compost consists of items such as grass clippings, leaves, soft-wood
bush prunings, plants, coffee grounds and other types of kitchen
waste, it is also great for providing your garden with much needed
nutrients.
In some cases, you need to use caution when using compost as a
mulch. This really depends on what you have added to your compost
pile. If you have added white wood, it does not compost well and
can promote fungal growth and attract insects such as termites. If
you use your compost as a mulch, do not include white wood in your
compost pile. Or, be sure to blend it with hardwood bark in order
to gain the beneficial anti-fungus and anti-insect properties.
Native mulch can also be purchased from some garden centers and
landscape centers. In this case, it generally includes only brush and
grass. Nonetheless, you cannot be sure of what types of woods are
in the compost. It is also sometimes called hardwood mulch in an
attempt to sound as if it is hardwood bark mulch. Therefore, be
careful when ordering mulch and be sure it is hardwood bark mulch
or else be prepared to mix your hardwood mulch with hardwood
bark.

Cedar Mulch & Softwood Bark Mulch

Cedar mulch has similar properties to chipped hardwood bark
mulch. In addition, cedar mulch will not erode. It does not, however,
have insect repellent properties like chipped hardwood bark mulch.
Therefore, a mixture of cedar mulch and chipped hardwood bark
mulch can be an excellent mulch for any garden.
n Softwood Bark Mulch
Softwood bark mulch is created from fir, pine, and redwood trees. It
can be purchased in a variety of different sizes and is long-lasting. It
is a great choice for foundation plantings, but it does not have the
ability to interlock like chipped hardwood bark mulch. For this
reason, softwood bark mulch can wash away in strong rains such as
those experienced in the Gulf Coast region. This is particularly true
of large nuggets, which have a tendency to float in water.
Like chipped hardwood bark mulch, softwood bark mulch has natural
anti-fungus and anti-insect properties. For the best weed control,
you should add two to three inches of softwood bark to your
garden. It also will not rob nitrogen from your garden soil.
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Softwood bark can, however, attract termites and other types of
insects. Since pine bark mulch has a tendency to flake or chip, it isgreat for use as a soil amendment or for use in potting soils as well.

Chipped Hardwood Bark Mulch

Chipped hardwood bark mulch, which is made from grounded up or
chipped trees, can often be purchased at a low cost or even given
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away for free at township landfills. Getting your chipped hardwood
bark mulch this way, however, does put you at risk of bringing home
mulch made from diseased trees. Therefore, it is best to compost
this mulch for a year before you apply it to your garden.
You can also purchase chipped hardwood bark from most garden
centers. It makes for a great mulch because it is fibrous and has the
ability to interlock with other pieces. This helps prevent the mulch
from getting washed away by a hard rainfall. It is also heavy enough
to help your garden retain its moisture during dry summer months,
while still being light and airy enough to allow water and air to
permeate it.
Chipped hardwood bark mulch also has natural anti-insect and antifungal
properties that are beneficial to your garden. It also provides
nutrients to the ground as it decomposes and does not take away
any nitrogen from the ground as it decomposes as some other forms
of organic mulch can.

MULCHING YOUR GARDEN

Now that you have planted your garden, it is time to mulch it. Mulch
can be comprised or organic materials or synthetic materials. No
matter what type of mulch you choose to use for your garden, it
serves the same basic purpose: to prevent weeds from growing, to
help the ground maintain its moisture, and to maintain soil
temperature.
Mulch has several other benefits in addition to these main three. For
example, it prevents soil splashing, which occurs when bits of soil
splash on your plants when they are being watered or while it is
raining. Soil splashing can be particularly damaging to your plants if
your soil has become contaminated with soil-borne diseases. In
addition, soil splashing can lead to erosion of your garden’s soil.
Mulch also prevents the surface of your soil from crusting, or
becoming too hard. When your soil surfaces crusts, it makes it more
difficult for it to absorb water and move within your soil.
Mulch can also provide a protective barrier around trees and shrubs.
When placed around these plants, it prevents them from becoming
damaged by lawn equipment. In addition, it creates a tidy and
attractive appearance. For plants in general, mulch helps create a
stronger root system as well. This is because the plant will create
roots to anchor to the soil as well as additional roots for the mulch.
In general, organic mulches are the most beneficial for your garden.
This is because organic mulches such as chipped bark, shredded
trees, straw, compost, and shredded leaves help add nutrients to the
soil as they decompose. Each of these organic mulches is slightly
different and has its own unique benefits and characteristics. In
addition, some can be found at your home already, while others may
need to be purchased from the store.