My Favorite Mulching
Halfway through May, there’s still mulch to do and mulch to discuss. Sorry, did I say mulch? But, with all the good that it’s doing for our client right now, it’s just on the brain as much as the landscaping! But not every mulch is suitable for every task. And while some choices may be obvious (don’t use plastic mulch in an organic garden), others aren’t. Organic mulch and inorganic mulch are the two main varieties, but within each are many subcategories. So let’s discuss which may be best for your Tuckahoe Property Management.

Organic Mulch

When you hear organic mulch, you may think it’s either very healthy or unnecessarily expensive! But while some people may use the phrase to mean free of additives, generally speaking, when professional landscapers say it, we mean a ground covering for your gardens derived from plants. These can be very natural or treated, and which type you need will depend on your goals.

Dyed or Not?Freshly spread brown mulch in a garden

Before you choose the material to mulch your gardens, you’ll want to think about the purpose of those gardens. For example, if you’re growing veggies to feed your family, stay away from treated varieties of mulch. On the other hand, if your primary goal is something aesthetic for the front of your commercial property, you want something that will last a long time. Mulch comes in many colors and various materials, treated and untreated. Dyed mulch can be an excellent choice for setting a contrast with your flowers.

Shredded Tree Bark

The most common variety of organic mulch on the market today is shredded tree bark. It’s so synonymous with mulch that it’s probably what you automatically thought about when you saw the subject of this blog! Most of the mulch sold in garden and hardware stores is comprised of dyed shredded tree bark. It’s a suitable happy medium for a reasonably natural mulch that will break down over time but not too quickly. For most homeowners, it’s a good material for anything they don’t plant to eat.

Compost

On the other end of the organic mulch spectrum is compost. Not pretty to look at or smell; compost is perfect for growing something new, and depending on where you source, it may be organic in both senses of the word. For example, it’s the ideal way to cover a vegetable garden. But be mindful of how much you use because it gets hot!

Fresh Mulch

Sometimes you don’t want to grow anything. We use mulch in our flower gardens to keep out weeds, but sometimes you might want to use it to kill something that’s already. For that, your best option is fresh, untreated mulch made from a tree. Sometimes you can find a tree care company willing to dump fresh wood chips from a tree on your property. It sucks up the nitrogen in the soil and helps to get rid of tough-to-kill greenery like ivy. While this isn’t a common way that Mitchell’s mulches, it’s worth noting that it can work when you have a lot to kill!

Local MaterialsBlack mulch in front of a home

Though shredded tree bark comes prebagged in stores, there was a time when organic mulch was primarily composed of whatever material was readily available in a given community. For example, parts of the American South used peanut shells, the Midwest used corn cobs, and many seaside communities used shells from mollusks. In today’s age of aesthetic landscaping, local mulches have largely fallen by the wayside, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be creative in your garden!

Inorganic Mulch

The other main mulch category is inorganic mulch, a garden covering made from anything other than plants. These include naturally derived materials like bones, shells, and stones, as well as manufactured mulch made from all manner of materials. The benefit of organic mulch is that it does not break down over time, creating a dependable landscape cover for your gardens that you rarely need to replace or replenish.

Stone, Shells, Etc.

One of our favorite inorganic mulches is not unnatural. We love to use stone mulch to decorate our client’s gardens. Though it doesn’t break down, it still gives the landscape a natural feel without giving up the polish or consistency. For a unique spin on stone mulch, consider using shells. Also, beautiful they can replenish the calcium in the soil.

Manufactured

If you can name a material, someone has probably used it for mulch! Shredded tires are a great way to reuse the rubber from our wheels and provide a soft cover playground. Polished glass and marble work wonders for the front of stores. Even plastic is repurposed into colorful pellets to match the aesthetic of anyone’s taste.

Let’s Get You Mulched!

While we primarily deal in stone and organic varieties of mulch, we’re here to help you find the perfect mulch in the perfect color for your front or backyard. Call Mitchell’s for all your landscaping needs today!