Creating A Gorgeous Garden

Five Common Types Of Mulch For Your Home Landscape

28 December 2020 by Tiffany Gonzales

Mulching improves the appearance and the health of your landscape. The key is knowing which mulch to use.

1. Wood Chip

Wood chip mulch is sometimes called bark chips, bark nuggets, or shredded wood mulch. It comes in a variety of colors ranging from natural or brown to a red-dyed variety. You can purchase it by the bag or by the cubic yard, or your tree service may offer you the resultant mulch after chipping any trees you have removed. Wood chip mulch is highly attractive and it decomposes slowly. Further, as it decomposes it puts nutrients back in the soil. Due to the slower decomposition, it is best used around trees, shrubs, and in perennial garden beds.

2. Straw

Straw mulch provides superior weed blocking capabilities because it creates a dense mat that prevents weeds from growing through. The key is to always pay a bit extra for seed-free straw and never to use products labeled as feed hay. Straw is available in bales, which you can break open and spread over the soil. Much like wood chips, straw also adds nutrients to the soil as it breaks down. Since straw isn't as attractive as wood chips, it is primarily reserved for use in vegetable gardens. It is also sometimes used as temporary erosion control in areas where a more permanent solution will eventually be installed.

3. Pine Straw

Pine straw consists of the dried needles of conifer trees. Its attractiveness is on par with wood chips, while its weed blocking ability is more in line with straw. When pine straw decomposes it creates a more acidic environment in the soil, so it isn't suitable for all plants. It's generally used around conifers or around plants that prefer more acidic soil, like rhododendrons or azaleas.

4. Rock

Rock mulch doesn't decompose so it is for permanent installations. It's typically used around desert plants or plants that thrive in drier, rocky soil, like lavender or rosemary. The main concern with rocks is you don't want them to migrate into the neighboring soil, so you must use a weed fabric beneath the rocks to keep them in place.

5. Rubber

There is one type of mulch that is readily available but should be avoided at all costs. Rubber mulch is nothing more than shredded rubber that is dyed to resemble bark chips. The supposed benefits are that you don't have to worry about it decomposing, but this means it can spread into the surrounding soil and become nothing more than harmful waste. Some also recommend it for use under children's playsets, but a better option is rubber pads that won't travel into the soil or blow into the environment.

Contact a mulching service to learn what is available in your area.

Share