Mulch, mulch, and MORE mulch!
Monthly Theme: Mulch, mulch, and MORE mulch!
Last week I finally finished moving 5 yards of mulch around my half acre lot. Shovel by shovel, it took me 3-weeks and every spare minute of my time. I even used my hour lunch break to move mulch. As soon as the workday was over, I’d work outside until sundown. On weekends, I worked from sunup to sundown. Of course, being a Virgo, I go above and beyond. Weeding meticulously on my hands and knees (like my mom used to do), fertilizing the plants, covering the soil with old newspaper, and finally applying the clean mulch (often spreading evenly by hand).
To be honest, I didn’t get a mulch delivery last year and we trimmed back the lower branches of the Pin Oak tree whereby creating more work and more mulch than normal. However, after the hard work was done, it was glorious to sit back on the patio with my mug of coffee, trying not to scratch my poison ivy, and simply enjoyed how beautiful the newly mulched yard looked. Yes, initially it’s a lot of work, but now I will have less maintenance for the rest of the growing season.
When I lived in Peninsula and Cuyahoga Falls, I never mulched my yard. My mom didn’t mulch, my grandma didn’t mulch, and I wasn’t sold on the benefits of mulching. When I moved to Brimfield and saw that all the new housing developments used mulch, I followed suit. Of course, I read all the articles and went to gardening lectures where I was instructed to use mulch, but I wasn’t convinced until I tried it myself. Because my yard is rather large and I have lots of flowerbeds and trees, it’s not worth buying individual bags of mulch so I have mine delivered. Fortunately, I found a garden center close to my house that delivers for free if you are within a few miles of their location.
However, it took a while to find a good company, with a reasonable price, and clean mulch. I’ve had mulch delivered that wasn’t well screened and found children’s toys, plastic bags, and even a bent golf club in the mulch! If the mulch isn’t clean, it can contain unwanted chemicals or weed seeds that will end up sprouting in your yard. Ask your neighbors for recommendations. Check with your city and/or county they may offer mulch to residents. My mother’s old neighborhood offered free mulch to residents. All they had to do was come and pick it up (not so easy if you don’t have a truck or friend with a truck).
Why should I mulch? To mulch or not to mulch – that is the question. Here are several valid reasons to mulch, 1) It helps to keep the soil moist, 2) It helps to suppress weeds, 3) It helps to keep the plant roots cool, and 4) It look pretty! Additionally, if you use organic mulch, it will enrich your soil. As the mulch decomposes, the soil becomes nutritionally richer, improves the overall soil structure, and provides better drainage. As a bonus, rougher bark helps to deter snails and slugs.
Organic or inorganic mulch? Organic mulch has no synthetic additives. So, it offers great nutritional value to your soil as it decomposes, but can only suppress not block weeds. Always choose organic for vegetable gardens. Inorganic mulch is not made of natural material, can contain manmade chemicals to block weeds, and does not benefit the soil. This could be used around trees. walkways or places you will not be planting or digging.
Personally, I use the undyed mulch, but I’ve read that both the black and red dyed mulches are safe. They use either carbon or iron oxide to create the color. Make sure the mulch is bark and not recycled wood. Purchase mulch that is double-screened and finer chips instead of huge chunks of wood.
When should I mulch? Mulch in the springtime once the weather is consistently warmer or in the fall to put down a natural blanket before winter to protect your tender plants. Don’t put mulch down too early or you will accidently kill perennials attempting to grow. Mulch works best when applied to moist soil. I find it’s easier to use a pitch fork instead of a shovel and a garden rake to move the mulch around the area.
Types of mulch: Bark (chipped or shredded – if you have a chipper, you can make your own), pine needles (the pH level on dried pine needles is low so should only slightly acidify your soil), wheatgrass mats, mushroom compost (can be alkaline, which is not suitable for acid-loving plants), jute mats (from recycled jute coffee sacks), grass clippings (can get smelly and mat down making it harder for water to flow through), newspaper (remember what those are?), straw (not hay!), rubber, landscape fabric, gravel, cocoa shells (high in nitrogen and phosphate, but toxic to dogs), and shredded leaves (can be used anywhere and the earthworms love a leaf entrée for dinner!).
NEWSPAPER MULCH: If you can shred the newspaper, it’s even better – shredder is better! Don’t use the glossy colored papers. The regular black and white should be soy-based ink and safe for the soil. If you get the paper wet, it’s easier to work with and not blow away. I’d suggest 4-8 sheets for a nice weed barrier.
LEAF MULCH: If you don’t shred the leaves, like grass, they can bind into a heavy mat. Break up the mat with your trusty rake. If you prefer, you can rake your leaves into black plastic bags with holes and wait for them to decompose before applying to your soil.
STRAW MULCH: Straw works well in vegetable gardens (perfect for potatoes) and walking paths. It helps to prevent diseases from water splashing up on the lower leaves of your plants. I find straw is helpful under my strawberries so the berries don’t rot on the soil.
LANDSCAPE FABRIC MULCH: I have used landscape fabric in the past around trees and bushes. Try to use one long piece without cutting it into separate sections where the weeds can find a place to grow. Cut an “X” in the spots you are planting. However, don’t be fooled, weeds will still grow even through these tough barriers. I wouldn’t use the plastic fabric because it makes it too hot for plant roots and it doesn’t allow enough water to get through. Plus, the decomposing plastic can be dangerous for the soil and overall environment in general.
GRAVEL/ROCK MULCH: Rocks are a great choice for a rock or rain garden, but make sure you have good drainage because they generate lots of heat. Also, rocks are hard to remove if you change your mind. Know what you want to plant and where you want to plant it before making the final decision to use rocks. My daughter lives in Florida and uses seashells for her driveway.
Here’s the BIG question everyone asks, “How much mulch to do I need to buy?” Most gardeners mulch 2-4” deep. If you go too deep, you could smother the roots and kill the plant. Conversely, if it’s too thin, the weeds will come through quickly. Also, be careful not to mound too much mulch around the base of your trees. In other words, don’t create a mulch volcano around your trees! There are mulch calculators online, but if you want to do the math, here are the formulas you’ll need to use. Do the math and figure out if it is cheaper for you to buy mulch in bags or have a truckload delivered to your house. If you have a small garden, bags will work fine for you. If you have a larger yard or larger flowerbeds, delivery will be your cheaper option. I’ve seen bags of mulch for $2-$6 per bag. A mulch delivery can cost you anywhere from $15-65 per cubic yard. Delivered mulch is called a cubic yard (or yard). A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet.
Square feet is: length x width
Cubic feet is: length x width x height
(cubic feet) = (square feet) x (height in feet)
If you have a 12 square foot garden and want to add 3” of mulch, you calculate: 12 sq. ft. x 0.25 feet (converted 3” height to feet) = 3 cubic feet of mulch.
If you have in a HOA, check on the rules and regulations regarding mulch delivery.
Now that you know everything you need to know about mulching and more, I hope I convinced you to add a protective layer of mulch on top of your soil. Remember: Healthy soil equals healthy plants!