What is its purpose of mulch you may ask? Isn’t the existing soil enough for the plant? No! Mulch is essential to the healthy growth of a plant for a number of reasons. Mulch is a general term used for a material that covers the bare soil around a plant.
We use mulch because it:
1. Helps conserve the soil moisture and temperature which improves the health of the soil
2. Reduces weed growth by keeping unwanted seedlings from reaching sunlight and growing further
3. Adds organic matter to the soil when the mulch breaks down over time, improving soil fertility
4. Reduces erosion on hills or sloped areas
5. It also just looks nice
Here are some of the most common mulch types we use:
a. Mini Mulch Fir Bark – is 1/4-3/8 inch in size. |
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Arbor Mulch – an inexpensive mulch consisting of chipped wood and bark from urban forest trees |
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Shredded Redwood (Gorilla Hair) – is a stringy, fibrous bark that ranges in size from 1 to 2 inches. It’s great for slopes |
Fibar/Playground Fiber – is 1/2-1 inch elongated blunt or soft chopped ends of wood | |
Dark Brown/ or Red Chips – 2” or less processed wood product which is colored with a UV protected colorant with long lasting color | |
Rubber Mulch -Made from recycled rubber products (most commonly tires) it is not as nice looking as the other mulches but it is a sustainable product |
We do NOT recommend any mulch that contains Cocoa or Coir (Coconut Husks), because these products are harmful to dogs. To learn more, see Creating a Garden Safe for Pets.
Please remember that buying mulch is not a one-time experience. Your mulch will decay over time and require additional layers added each year (rubber mulch is the exception to the rule). I recommend 2-3 inches for optimum results.
Whichever mulch you chose for your garden, it is an essential element for a healthy garden.
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