In Today’s throwaway society, there is absolutely no need to go out and purchase mulch material for your garden, unless it is for the particular aesthetic appearance, “The Look”, sake of the mulch material.

Were you aware that there are a number of mulching materials that you can obtain from around your own community that are free, and some of which can even be even delivered to you for nothing as well.

Impossible you might say. Well I mulch my gardens fairly heavily, and I never pay a cent for the mulch material. As a matter of fact, most of the mulch is willingly delivered to my home for nothing. As the former owners are only too glad to see the back of it, as it would cost them money, time and effort to find other ways of getting rid of it.

I also combine these outside sources of mulch with my own compost, weeds and other organic matter mixed through to achieve a great result in my garden, and so all that it costs me is time and effort.

So what am I talking about? While some of the below list is delivered free, other items I pick up myself, depending on time, circumstances, importance etc.

Grass Clippings from other people in the area or from lawn-mowing contractors.

Wood shavings from local wood turners and carvers, ( Do not use shavings from treated timber).

Small amounts of solid fill from friends who are excavating. This is to assist in raising garden beds, in my heavy clay soil.

Light prunings from shrubs which is shredded by me or put whole into garden

Heavier sticks and logs, which are turned into trellis, garden stakes, garden edges, seats, frames, log planters etc. while they slowly decay.

Newspaper, cardboard, non-rubber carpet underlay, and even carpet and carpet squares. Which is put under other mulch to prevent grass and weed regrowth

Animal manures sometimes mixed with straw from places like Racetracks and Showgrounds, Pony Clubs, Stables etc. I contact them well beforehand to see if any is available.

To this I also add my own weeds, throwing away some which can still be a potential problem, or burying them below the bottom most layer of mulch material to stop them regrowing. Another item I add is any old potting mix from deceased plants or when repotting plants.

Being a fairly lazy gardener, I throw the material around a bit at a time, as they are available, and let nature mix them for me. On a couple of occasions I have received a bit too much wood shavings so these became path material between some of the garden beds, with a heavy underlay of newspapers. People even tell me that it looks and feels good underfoot.

Never put a large amount of fresh animal manure on any garden, as it will burn any plant around it. Be extremely sparing or let it age first for a few months before applying it to the garden.

I have been living in my new house for about fifteen months, and the mulch layer in all my gardens (there were no gardens originally), is about 10 cm or 4 inches deep. None of which I have paid for and little that I have had to even pick up for myself.

People are even starting to comment on how fast the plants in my gardens are growing in the local heavy black clay soils, and they are surprised when I tell them that I have never bothered to fertilise the plants. The reason for this is that the earliest laid mulch material, is now broken down into plant nutrients and is now feeding my plants as a plant nutrient soup aided by the soil life which has suddenly started appearing in my gardens.

Another benefit that has started to appear in the last few months is the arrival of insect eating wildlife into my garden. Predatory insects and birds are now visiting my gardens on a regular basis, where I saw none this time last year. Bees and butterflies are also starting to visit many of the plants, which have come into flower for the first time this year.

So what can you do to start locating your own supplies of free mulch material, well here are a number of suggestions.

Put a little sign near your gate, something along the lines of ‘Organic mulch required’, or ‘Lawn clipping wanted’. There are sure to be a number of local people who are currently throwing theirs away in your community or even local area. Never mulch solely with grass clippings as they form an impenetrable layer that air and water cannot get through. Always mix it with other things to stop it ‘thatching’, just like a roof over the soil.

See if you can get into contact with local people who are into woodturning and carving, or even local sawmills. And come to some arrangement about unpreserved wood shavings.

Check the local phonebook for local showgrounds/racetracks/stables etc, to find out if any have stable or manure waste to give away, for people willing to pick them up In other words, start talking around the place that you are after mulch materials and they will soon start coming to you.

The only caution with using other peoples waste material is the chance that you might also import other peoples pests and weeds. I have rarely found it a problem because of heavy mulch on mulch routines. But it is possible.

One point being that when you first start applying mulch to your garden you may see some nitrogen deficiencies occur in some plants. This is because the organisms that are breaking down the mulch material are using up all the available resources of it during the initial breakdown. Once you have gotten past this time the old composted material provide more than enough nitrogen for future processes.

Another thing to be careful of is not to bury or mulch up against the stems of wanted plants, as it may cause further problems for your plants in rot problems around the collar of the stems.

So get out there and talk around the community, find the contacts, believe it or not they will be as grateful as you to solve their particular problems of waste reduction. As well as that, you may start making some new friendships out of the deal; I know I have.

When you're outside puttering around in your garden, you probably feel tranquil, serene, at one with Mother Nature. It's just you and your plants, getting along fantastically together. The last thing you want is for that peaceful silence to be obliterated by an intimidating gardening contraption like the chipper shredder. But fear not, those scared easily by loud noises and heavy machinery: chippers are not like their predecessors, and they're only getting better.

The chipper shredder is interesting in that it's one of the most versatile gardening tools around. Sure, you may scoff at the idea of having a machine assist with something that's so essentially natural. Yet after weeks of turning over that compost heap or letting those bags of leaves pile up, it's best to turn to a little extra help. For those that compost with gusto, a chipper shredder may already be sitting in your backyard somewhere, happily assisting with converting leaves into mulch and spitting out wood chips for ground cover. For the lazy composter, it may not even have occurred to you to enlist a hunk of metal to help make mulch. For those that don't even compost, the chipper shredder is still handy; with its chopping and dicing abilities (like an oversized piece of kitchenware seen on late night infomercials) will speed up the process of eliminating dead brush and tree limbs from the yard.

Old chippers were often clunky, deafening, and dangerous. New chippers tend to be lightweight, safer, and much quieter. The newer electric models are also less likely to emit strange, toxic odors like the older gas powered models, and they're healthier for the environment. They work well for long periods of time, given that you don't shove copious amounts of tree excess in all at once. The more powerful the shredder, the more it can handle; for backyard home work, smaller chippers are your best bet. Furthermore, larger chippers are great for clearing acres of dead tree brush and trunks. For those with compost piles or ordinary yard debris, the smaller chippers work very well for creating mulch. Distribute your chipper's finished product over your flower bed, and you can be witness to a worm colony growing rapidly in your compost pile. The best part is feeling proud knowing that you didn't really have to do much-your chipper shredder did all the work for you.

Leftover plant stalks? Stick 'em in the shredder. Trimming from your shrubs? Throw 'em in the chipper. Brittle, dry leaves? Why, just chuck those suckers on in. Get all the mulch you need for composting while saving yourself time and effort by using a chipper shredder. Now all you have to do is putter in your garden and enjoy the silence of happy, healthy plants.

Most Feng Shui bamboos are happiest in a moderately acidic loamy soil. If your soil is very heavy you can add organic material. It can be dug into the soil where the bamboo is to be planted, but the easiest thing is to mulch very heavily and let the earthworms do the work. Spread two or more inches of mulch in the area around the Feng Shui bamboo, and where you want the Feng Shui bamboo to grow.

Feng Shui Bamboo is a forest plant and does best if a mulch is kept over the roots and rhizomes. It is best not to rake or sweep up the Feng Shui bamboo leaves from under the plant, as they keep the soil soft, and moist, and recycle silica and other natural chemicals necessary to the Feng Shui bamboo.

A low-growing shade-tolerant groundcover plant that will allow the leaves to fall through to form a mulch without being visible will work if you find the dry leaf mulch objectionable. Almost any organic material is a good mulch. Grass is one of the best, as it is high in nitrogen and silica. Home made or commercial compost is great. Hay is a good mulch too but hay and manure are often a source of weed seeds, so that can be a problem.

Any kind of manure is good, if it isn't too hot. Limited amounts of very hot manures like chicken are OK if used with care. At our nursery we use a large amount of chipped trees from tree pruning services. This can harbor pathogens that can affect some trees or shrubs, but the Feng Shui bamboo loves it.

Pls visit http://www.bamboofengshui.com/ for advise on other Bamboo element that can enhance your Feng Shui such as Bamboo Chimes, Bamboo Paintings, Bamboo Feng Shui Books and Bamboo Plants.

The word “mulch” comes from the old English word “melsc” – meaning rotten hay. In today’s language it has come to mean any material that covers the soil to preserve moisture content, prevent soil erosion and inhibit weed growth. For organic gardening I choose materials that will break down over time, feeding my plants and contributing to the amount of humus in the soil.

Many materials are suitable to use as mulch, such as: leaves, straw / hay, sawdust, gravel / rocks, paper / cardboard, grass clippings, carpet underfelt and even plastic. Each one has its own benefits and disadvantages.

Dark mulches warm the soil, whereas light coloured mulches will keep the soul cooler. In a cool climate a light straw mulch will hold back the development of many hot season vegetables – so take care with your choice of mulch and the time of year you apply it.

I’ve heard it said that mulches can be a refuge for problem garden pests, but nature balances this with enough predators to consume any rise in pest numbers.

Leaves are the most natural mulch of all. However most of the nutritional content has been taken from the tree before the leaf falls to the ground. Many leaves contain tannins and some have growth suppressants (eucalypts & pine needles for example), so it’s better to either add them to your compost heap or place them in a wire container and allow them to decompose for a year or so and become leaf mould, them use as mulch.

Straw / Hay is my preferred method of mulching in my organic food garden. The main advantage over many mulches is that it slowly releases nutrients to feed the plants it surrounds. One disadvantage is that hay may contain weed seeds, but they are usually easy to pull. That is why I prefer pea straw – usually the only weeds are peas and they add nitrogen to the soil. Another problem can be that it may become water repellent. But this is not a problem if you trickle or flood irrigate your food plots.

Sawdust is probably best used by composting it before laying as a mulch as it may rob the soil of nitrogen if your soil is poor to begin with. Also, it can become water repellent. However if you have a good supply it makes an excellent soft, natural looking covering for pathways.

Gravel / Rocks are best used outside of your veggie garden unless you live in a cool climate area and use them around warm climate plants, such as pumpkins and tomatoes. Rocks store heat from the sun during the day and slowly release it through the night.

They can also be used in arid areas around larger plants and trees. Water condenses on the underside of the rocks as they cool during the night helping to keep plants moist. The disadvantage with rocks is that weeds will grow around them.

Paper / Cardboard are both quite useful as mulches. I often use thick layers of newspaper (which I wet before laying) underneath pea-straw or pine bark. The layers need to overlap about 15cm to prevent weeds from coming through. Don’t use pages with coloured ink as they may contain heavy metals.

Cardboard can make a great mulch under young trees. You can secure it with rocks in a decorative way in addition to straw or bark. Using cardboard beneath sawdust for your garden paths will prevent most weeds.

Grass clippings can be utilised as a thin mulch under trees and shrubs that will feed your plants as it breaks down. Take care not to pile on too thickly though as you will end up with a water repelling, smelly blob!

Carpet underfelt makes an excellent mulch in your organic garden. It won’t blow away, it’s easy to cut to insert your seedlings, it allows air to penetrate and it holds moisture very well. You must make sure that it is the older underfelt though, not the modern foam type.

Black plastic has the advantage of being cheap, easy to install and a great weed suppressor, but its disadvantages are many. It doesn’t feed the soil, it deteriorates with direct sunlight and doesn’t allow the natural gas exchanges between the air and soil.

Whatever your choice of mulch, your organic garden will be more productive and well balanced if you choose a feeding kind of mulch. Remember too that mulches should not come into contact with the stems of you plants as this may cause them to rot.

Mulching is the final step in the process of installing your landscape.

When done properly, mulch will give your landscape the new showroom shine, the WOW factor.

Do this to enhance the look before you mulch

Remove any rocks bigger than a golf ball or debris left in your landscape.

Prune any wild hairs on the tops of your new or existing plants.

Fertilize all of your plants.

Make sure all of your edges are neat and straight.

Using Roundup

If you have an existing landscape, you may have some weeds in your beds. Take your weed eater and cut the weeds close to ground level, leaving some leaves on the plants. Roundup needs leaf surface to spray onto or the chemical will not be absorbed into the plant.

Spray weeds with roundup and let sit for a couple hours. The chemical will dry and be absorbed by the weed. Roundup will then work its way thru the weed, killing down to the root. You can now mulch right over the top.

Make sure the chemical has dried before you walk back into the garden to mulch. Roundup that is still wet will attach itself to your shoes. When you walk back into your lawn from the garden to get more mulch, the chemical will rub off your shoes and kill the grass.

Combining Evergreen Beds

If you have an opportunity to combine some of the larger evergreens into one big bed, do so at this time. Eliminating the mowing and weed eating under the pines will save a lot of time and the finished look is spectacular

Pull the edge from under the pines all the way out until it is 1 foot past where the bottom branches end now. Paint a line all the way around and follow the same steps of weed eating and spraying with roundup above.

Be extremely careful about knowing where you step under the pine beds. The bed space is a lot bigger and the chance of walking thru roundup and killing grass is even greater. If there is a lot of spraying to be done under the pines, I would suggest buying a dye that you can put into your sprayer to tell you where the spray is.

Cleanup any dead leaf or perennial debris. Cut down your ornamental grasses

Final grade the slope away from any objects (house, shed, etc.) to help with drainage and level any footprints or depressions left in the soil.

When you grade along the area where your beds meet the foundations of buildings, make sure this area is smooth. When you mulch this area, the smoother the soil is, the better the finished product looks. You don’t want this area all bumpy and rippled; your eye will be pulled right to waves.

Time to Mulch

Mulch is used to enhance the look of every landscape. It hides all the imperfections and shows only the beauty.

Mulch is the perfect finish to all the hard work put into installing a landscape.

Mulch is not only limited to color. It helps keep weeds under control, helps with erosion, keeps water from evaporating quickly around the roots of plants and is used as a cushion for our children when they fall in their playgrounds.

Mulch is a necessary part of any landscape, use it wisely.

How much did you say I need?

Figure out the quantity of mulch you will need by doing the same calculations we did for the soil amendments. Length of bed x width x depth of mulch divided by 27 = number of yards.

Bed equals 20 feet by 10 feet= 200 square feet 2” of mulch---2” divided by 12”=.17 200x.17=34 cubic feet 27 is the cubic feet factor you divide by 34 divided by 27= 1.26 yards of mulch.

Every yard of mulch is equal to 9 bags of mulch- each bag is 3 cubic feet. That is 9 (3cubic feet) bags.

Buy bulk if you can

If you need a large quantity, buy the bulk mulch and have it delivered to your house. It is usually cheaper and not as heavy. Mulch in bags is sometimes wet when filled at the mulch plant, and can be very heavy and hard to maneuver around the garden.

Try to have the mulch put in an area that is readily accessible and easy to get to the garden. Figure this spot out before the mulch is delivered or you will spend a lot of your energy hauling the mulch back and forth from the pile.

I recommend dyed brown mulch but be careful

If you are going to use dyed mulch, and I recommend brown only, know that when the dye is sprayed onto the mulch, it needs to dry before you use it. If you have a pile delivered to your house on your concrete driveway and it rains before the dye dries, the dye will stain your concrete. Be careful and know the forecast.

I highly recommend brown dyed mulch for any landscape. Deep rich brown color remains all season. You can’t beat the color and there’s no reason for a fall mulch. Fall mulching is used primarily to refresh the color in the landscape. If the initial mulch is still holding its color in the fall, there is no reason to spend the extra money.

You need to be very careful that a second mulching does not become excessive in the amounts on the beds.

The look of any garden after the spring mulch is applied is phenomenal. The only problem is that shredded hardwood mulch starts losing its color after the first month, quickly deteriorating from there. Brown dyed mulch will look as good in September as it did in March. Try it you will love it. How do I spread it?

Use a wheel barrow, trash can or shovel to start dumping piles around your garden. There really is no easy way to get the mulch into the beds. This is why it is important to dump the pile as close to the garden as possible. Scoop it up, fill up the wheel barrow and dump it out. Use whatever is easiest for you.

Spread to a depth of 1” on existing mulch or 2” on a new landscape. The total amount of mulch on your beds at any time should never exceed 2”. If you have existing mulch that is at 1” now, you only want to install 1” of fresh mulch on top.

Spreading new mulch? Only pinch an inch

If you are about to put new mulch on existing mulch, it is always a good idea to use a cultivator or hard rake to loosen up the top layer of the old first. This allows more oxygen to get inside the mulch layer and help with decomposition. The mulch on your landscape beds should break down some every year.

Mulch over time will clump or mat together from the compaction caused by the wetting of the spring and summer rains and roots growing thru. This matting will actually shed water away from your plants instead of absorbing like mulch is designed to do. This becomes a real problem when mulch is continually piled on top of itself year after year and never cultivated or removed.

Mulch Volcanoes? First wonder of the landscape world

Do not pile mulch up against the trunks of trees or shrubs. Over time the moisture from the mulch will soften the bark, possibly allowing insect damage

Do not pile mulch around the trunks of laurel shrubs; it will promote an insect known as a borer. The moisture from the mulch will soften the bark and allow the insect to deposit its eggs into the trunk where they will grow, burrow thru the wood and kill the shrub.

Do not pile mulch up on tree rings, making the mulch volcano. As the mulch becomes deeper and deeper, moisture will stop getting thru to the root system. The mulch will get wet but the roots will stay dry. The roots will start to grow into the mulch searching for the water, instead of staying in the soil. When the weather gets into a drought situation, the mulch will dry out first, the roots in the mulch will dry out and the tree will stress.

Mulch around tree rings should be almost even with the ground. Newly installed trees will be a little higher because of the soil piled around them, but after one year, the soil should be smoothed out and mulched lower.

Good luck and take pictures of the finished product. Your landscape will never look better.

The use of some sort of material to be spread on the ground to a certain height, which acts as an insulating layer between the soil's surface and the atmosphere, or mulching in short, is a technique being increasingly employed by professional horticulturalists. Some home gardeners may still be insufficiently aware of its importance, so in this article I'll tell you why a mulch layer is so important, then I'll go into the different types of mulch, their various qualities and how they should be used.

Amongst many benefits, a mulch on the soil -

* Significantly reduces weeds. This is true of annuals although mulching does not generally prevent the growth of perennial weeds
* Significantly reduces the evaporation of moisture from the soil surface and is therefore an essential part of water conserving gardening
* Reduces soil erosion caused by wind and rain. This is a fantastically important benefit
* Moderates the top-soil temperature. So in the winter a layer of mulch can prevent freezing, and in hot- summer climates, prevent the top soil reaching temperatures that inhibit plant growth
* Is aesthetically superior to the sight of bare soil and irrigation pipes

Taking aesthetic considerations into account, there are broadly speaking two types of mulch which are viable in a garden. Organic mulches such as wood chippings, and natural inorganic mulches such as pebbles. Which is preferable?

The use of decorative pebbles is often part of an overall design. They are particularly appropriate, associatively, in dry climate gardens. But there are a number of drawbacks involved. Some aggregates such as dark stones of volcanic origin have been found to actually increase the top-soil temperature. Furthermore, adding organic feeds to the soil, something that should be done once or twice a year, becomes difficult and tiresome. The use of a chemical fertilizer pump offers a way round this, but sets in train a number of problems. Relying on chemical fertilizers as the only method of feeding is dreadful gardening! For further discussion on the automatic fertilizer pumps, see a previous article of mine called "The truth about fertilizer pumps."

On the other hand, while wood chippings may in some cases be less attractive, they help to create a better habitat in which your garden plants grow. Organic mulches definitely moderate the soil's temperature, they provide raw material for essential organisms like earthworms, (see article called "The world's greatest gardener!") and as they break down they contribute humus to the soil. All these factors reduce pest and disease infestations, improve the soil's structure, and in the long run help to provide balanced nutriment for the plants

For organic mulches to be effective, they need to be spread to a depth of about 10 cm, after the initial quantity has settled. This means you need to spread about 15cm in order to end up with a layer of some 10 cm, and you'll need to add a bit each year as the chippings closest to the soil's surface break down. Be careful to keep the mulch away from tree trunks and shrub stems. It could cause rot to set in.

There are many reasons for spreading a layer of pebbles or wood chippings on top of the soil around the garden plants, otherwise known as mulching. A mulch layer is said to retard weeds, regulate the top-soil temperature, save water by reducing evaporation from the soil and prevent soil erosion. All this is true in principle, but merely spreading some mulch does not necessarily produce satisfactory results. How then can it be used most effectively?

The use of an inorganic material like decorative pebbles, is often part of an overall design, especially in Mediterranean style gardens. They are best employed as a ground cover, with a few sculptural plants dotted within them. If the bed however is to be covered by plants, then pebbles from my experience, end up being more of a nuisance than a benefit, because they make plant feeding and weed removal amongst other tasks, more problematical.

Let's take then a situation where a prostrate ground cover species is to be planted at a distance of one meter between the plants. The two principle advantages of spreading an organic mulch such as wood chippings between the plants, is that the soil conditions are actually improved, and the temperature of the top layers of the soil are regulated. This is of considerable significance in hot dry climates, where the temperature at the soils' surface can reach 50c and more.

Mulching cannot be isolated from other gardening tasks such as feeding. An excellent way of overcoming the practical inconvenience of feeding the plants through an existing mulch layer, is to incorporate into the soil, massive quantities of compost before planting. If compost is dug in to the soil at a rate of 60 liters per square meter, then together with the wood chippings slowly adding humus to the soil as they break down, there should be little reason to feed for about 5 years! Added to the fact that with a mulch layer, there is no need to hoe and cultivate the top soil, a significant saving in labor can be achieved. One word of warning though. With such quantities only use compost that has been thoroughly broken down and is from a known and reliable source.

Despite its many benefits, it is important to recognize the limitations of mulching. To be effective in retarding weeds, organic mulches should be spread to a net depth of at least 10cm. As at least 5cm is liable to settle, the gross depth of material should therefore be some 15cm. This makes wood chippings a relatively expensive option. Mulches, while significantly reducing the germination rate amongst annual weed seeds, generally have little effect on perennial weeds. With regard to saving water, they are most suitable for drip irrigation, but much less so where sprinklers are used, as the mulch layer absorbs a considerable amount of the moisture dispersed by the sprinklers.

For further information on this topic, click on the link below, and then on the Articles page where the following, arranged alphabetically can be found:

* Preventing Weeds In A Winter Mediterranean Garden

*Five Excellent Reasons For Mulching Your Garden Beds

Mulching is the practice of placing a loose surface onto the surface of soil in your flower or vegetable garden in order to protect, insulate and beautify the area. This loose covering is called a mulch and it can be either of an organic or inorganic variety. Examples of mulches include compost, stone and grass clippings. Every gardener should understand the many benefits of mulching the soil in their garden. This article will discuss the benefits of mulching, how to choose the correct mulch and have a quick look at some of the different types of organic and inorganic mulches available.

Benefits of Mulching
Let us explore some benefits of mulching:

Prevents soil erosion - Soil erosion happens when winds or water slowly wear away the surface of soil and remove it. Mulching your soil will prevent this as there is now a protective, replaceable layer.that comes between the surface of the soil and the forces of nature above it.

Insulates the soil in winter - The harsh temperatures of winter can be unkind. Mulching the soil in winter will insulate the soil preventing it from repeated patterns of freezing and thawing and will insulate plant roots. It prevents heaving (buckling upward) of soil in spring. Mulch should be applied to the soil when it has frozen and removed in spring only when there is no danger of further frosts. Winter-mulched soil thaws out more quickly in the spring.

Cools down soil in summer - A layer of mulch in summer protects the soil beneath from the extreme heats of summer and reduces the need for constant watering i.e. water retention is improved.

Helps against soil compaction - The layer of mulch acts as a buffer or extra layer between entities that can cause compaction on the soil below e.g. people, equipment, heavy rains.

Improves appearance - A mulch applied to your bed can make it look more complete and attractive. This varies from mulch to mulch as some are more attractive and natural looking than others.

Prevents weed growth - One of the more useful benefits of mulching is in weed prevention. While the mulch itself will not stop weeds from germinating it serves to act as a barrier between the weeds and the outside world above. When a weed reaches the mulch layer it will not be able to break above it and it will eventually die back. Some mulches perform this weed prevention feature better than others. Depth of mulch is also a contributing factor. Care should be taken however when selecting mulches as some mulches like grass clippings and straw may actually contain weed seeds.

Keeps fruit and vegetables clean - A layer of mulch reduces the chances of fruit and vegetables getting dirty from splashes from the soil below.

Choosing the Correct Mulch for Your Garden
Careful thought should be given when choosing a mulch to apply to your garden as each is different and should fit in with your exact requirements. Here are some common factors that should be considered:

Soil pH suitability - Some mulches like bark mulch and pine needle mulch can affect the pH value of soil so they are best used on soils containing acid-loving plants.

Removal in spring - Certain mulches need to be removed in spring because they can smother emerging plants. Examples include stone mulch and bark chips.

Cost - Is cost a limiting factor in your choice of mulches? If so you can find your mulch for free if you choose certain types. If you keep a compost heap then you will have compost for mulching. Other free mulches (if you have the sources) are pine needles and grass clippings.

Appearance - Do you care about how the bed will look when the mulch is applied? Each mulch adds a different look and depending on the design of your garden you may want to choose a mulch that matches it in colour and texture.

Penetration by water and air - Some mulches are better at allowing water and air to pass through them than others. This may be important depending on a plant's watering requirements.

Addition of nutrients to the soil - Organic mulches add nutrients back into the soil when they decompose. The nutrient types and their amounts added back into the soil depend on the mulch and it varies quite a bit. Using compost as a mulch guarantees plenty of nutrients for your plants.

Some Types of Organic Mulch
This type of mulch once used to be living material and as such will decompose over time. During their decomposition vital nutrients will be added back into your soil. However you may want to avoid using organic mulches if you have rodent problems. Some common organic mulches are:

Compost - Mulches and feeds the soils as it decomposes. This mulch is free if you have access to your own compost heap. Apply at a depth of 1 - 3 inches.

Pine Needles - Commonly used with acid soils. Cheap, looks great and allows water to pass through freely to the soil below. It decomposes quite slowly however. Apply to a depth of 1 - 1.5 inches

Straw - Provides great insulation, water penetration and weed control. Care should be taken that straw does not contain weed seeds itself. Apply to a depth of 6 - 8 inches.

Grass Clippings - Readily available and decomposes quite quickly adding nitrogen back into the soil. Try not to apply too fresh as it can heat up quite a bit and possibly cause damage to your plants. Apply to a depth of 1 inch.

Newspaper - Provides great weed control and is readily available. Apply another mulch on top to keep it in place. Apply in 2 layer sections.

Some Types of Inorganic Mulch
Inorganic mulches are inert materials that have not originated from living material. Sometimes inorganic and organic mulches are used in conjunction with one another. For example a geotextile (inorganic mulch) may be covered and held in place by bark chips (organic mulch). Some common inorganic mulches are:

Stone - Looks great and provides great insulation. If removal in spring is a factor in your choice of mulch avoid using stone. Degrades very, very slowly. Apply to a depth of 2 - 4 inches.

Plastic - Does not decompose so it does not add anything into the soil. Acts as a great weed control and is easily laid. Must be perforated to allow water to pass through. Apply in a thickness of 1 - 6 mm.

Geotextile - Expensive blanket-like synthetic fiber that provides great weed control and allows for water penetration. Almost always used in conjunction with a cover mulch (e.g. bark chips). Apply in a single layer.

Conclusion
In this article we looked at the many benefits of mulching and the different types available. Maybe take the time today to decide which mulch to use in your garden if you have not mulched in the past. You may be surprised at how cheap the process can be if you use mulches such as compost from your compost heap, grass clippings from your lawn cuttings and/or the Sunday newspapers! Happy mulching.

Flower bulbs need a good, long, winter’s sleep. Like some people we know, if they wake up before they are fully rested they get kind of cranky, and then they don’t bloom well at all.

Actually what happens is during a mild winter, the soil stays too warm and the bulbs begin to come out of dormancy early. They start to grow, and once the tips emerge above the soil line, they are subject to freezing if the temperatures dip back down below freezing. And that’s usually what happens. After the bulbs have emerged, they freeze and then don’t bloom at all, or if they do it’s a very sad display.

Another reason this happens is because the bulbs are not planted deep enough. They may have been deep enough when you planted them, but as the soil goes through the freezing and thawing process, the bulbs can actually work their way up in the ground. One way to keep your flower bulbs sleeping longer, which will protect them from freezing, is to mulch the bed.

In the fall just apply a 3-4” layer of well composted mulch. This layer of mulch will do a couple of things. It will maintain a higher moisture content in the soil, which is good as long as the soil isn’t too soggy. Well composted mulch also adds valuable organic matter to the planting bed. Organic matter makes a great natural fertilizer.

A 3-4” layer of mulch also acts as an insulator. It will keep the soil from freezing for a while, which is good because you don’t want the bulbs going through a series of short cycles of freezing and thawing. Then when the temperatures drop below freezing and stay there for a while, the soil does eventually freeze. Then the mulch actually works in reverse and keeps the soil from thawing out too early. Keeping it in a frozen state is actually good because the bulbs remain dormant for a longer period of time.

When they finally do wake up it is spring time, and hopefully by the time they emerge from the ground the danger of a hard freeze is past and they will not be damaged. If you can keep them from freezing, they will flower beautifully. The extra organic matter will help to nourish the bulbs when they are done blooming, and the cycle starts all over again.

We also plant annual flowers in the same beds with our spring bulbs. By the time the danger of frost is past and it’s time to plant the annuals, the top of the bulbs have died back and are ready to be removed. The mulch that is added in the fall also helps to nourish the annual flowers, as well as improve the soil permanently. Any time you add well composted organic matter to your planting beds, you are bound to realize multiple benefits. The key words here are “well composted”. Fresh material is not good.

You are welcome to use this article on your website or In your newsletter as long as you reprint it as is, including the contact information at the end. Website URLs must be active links. You are welcome to use this article with an affiliate link, http://www.freeplants.com/resellers.htm

Ah, springtime at last. Many home garderners are busy preparing their gardens and planting for a beautifully landscaped yard. Start now to control the weeds showing their ugly heads in your garden. Mulch provides the weed barrier you need now for bountiful flowers, shrubs and vegetables.

Mulch will not only control weeds, but retain moisture in the soil and keep extreme temperatures from damaging root systems. There are many different types and ways to apply mulch. Some of them can be very costly. I've found a better way to control weeds naturally and inexpensively.

If you're putting in new plants, be sure to follow planting procedures like proper depth and spacing as well as watering the holes where your plants will go. For established garden areas, make sure to hoe or pull weeds more than two inches tall. Also be sure you have applied any compost and tilled it into the soil well. Level the ground and break up any large clods of soil.

Then it's time for the mulch. Commercial mulches can be costly. An inexpensive alternative is to recycle newspapers under a shallow layer of shredded bark. The newspapers are of course free, and you can feel good about recycling them. Shredded bark can be purchased in quantity from a sawmill for a very reasonable price.

First, wet the ground to be covered. Don't make a mud puddle, but be sure to soak it well. Then lay out the newspapers. You can use 1-2 sheets, overlapping them to keep them in place. Put rocks or some other heavy object down to hold them down temporarily. Once you have an area covered, wet it again to soak the newspapers. This will keep the paper from blowing away and you can pick up and move the rocks or weights to the next area. Repeat this procedure until the entire area is covered.

If you have existing plants, you can tear and fit the newspapers around them. Make sure they snug right up against the base of the plants to keep the weeds out.

Then apply the bark mulch. Since you've already put down a weed barrier (newspapers), you won't need nearly as much bark mulch as is usually called for. You need only apply enough to hide the newspapers. Commercial applications calling for mulch at a 2 inch depth will require one 2 cubic feet bag to cover 12 square feet. You will only need half that much if you've put down newspapers first.

Which kind and size of mulch to use will depend on your budget. If you're shopping commercially, you can purchase plain medium sized bark at about half the price of mulch treated with insect deterrant. Sawmills produce bark as a by product and will cost even less.

Make sure the mulch is evenly spread. By adding mulch as needed once a year, you'll have a head start on the garden weeds.

The newspapers will work as a weed barrier and are free compared to expensive weed cloth. They will also retain moisture in the soil and degrade naturally to improve the condition of the soil in your garden. The mulch will cover the newspapers giving your garden or flower beds an attractive look. They too will degrade into soil-enhancing nutrients. Mulching will also help protect roots from extreme temperatures, keeping the root system warm during cooler spring nights and cooler during the hot summer days.

Landscaping is an art. Houses and all other buildings can show their best with them. Plants can beautify your yard and will give you the more rewarding result. But if you need to start out, you can consider getting a cheap mulching option for your garden.

When you are moving to a new property, there is a high probability that there are weeds. You need to weed them out or just mulch them properly. Mulching is any material with loose properties to control weed growth and save soil moisture. They can compose of things like leaves, bark, clippings and other commercial materials such as plastic sheeting.

So if you need a cheap mulching alternative, you can opt to get the same effect with lesser materials. They can be done with some basic items such as rags, papers, barks and sugar cane mulch. They are the basic items you need to get your garden to the best condition. Here are some steps to prepare:

Organize the garden by weeding it first. Then rake the soil to make a smooth texture. You may now apply the papers, thicker is better. They must be usually 6 sheets thick. Water them down to be soaked so they won't be easily blown away by the wind.

The next thing to do is apply the sugar cane mulch. But if you really are short of this material, you can try organic straw; just make sure there are no seeds with them. They will now cover the paper you used to apply earlier. It doesn't need to be deep, you need to put them enough just to cover the paper. Then, you need to apply water again to dampen the mulch, this gives out a lovely color of gold.

Now you can apply the bark materials. A good amount is just handfuls within your reach to cover the golden colored mulch; they will give color and contrast to the project.

This can be the most effective mulch to prevent the growth of weeks. You can notice that after a few weeks, only some of the weeds can get through. A nuisance weed can be nut grass, just weed them out by hand. The golden color can fade due to the sun, but you can now grow your flowers or plants to your garden.

This can be one of the cost effective ways to prevent weeding. As with saving time and probably making your garden more beautiful, there are always cheap landscaping ideas which you can use to your garden.

Mulch is anything that covers the soil for the purpose of preventing weeds, conserving moisture, or moderating the soil temperature. Many materials make good mulch. The ones you choose really depend on what's locally available, how much you want to spend, the appearance factor and where you plan to put it.

The best mulch materials for gardens and landscapes also feed the worms and add organic matter to the soil as they decompose. Usually, 2- to 4-inch layers are sufficient to do the job, depending on the density of the material. Take a look at the following popular mulches and their uses.

Tree bark: The ubiquitous landscape mulch. Available in shreds or various-sized chunks, bark lasts a long time, depending on the particle size and gives your landscape a finished look. Be sure you're buying real bark, however, by checking the bag label or asking the seller for the content. Wood chips that are dyed to look like bark are becoming prevalent in some areas.

Wood chips, sawdust and shavings: Although suitable for mulch, these products break down more quickly than bark and compete with your plants for nitrogen as they decompose. If you use these around food and landscape plants, be sure to add an additional nitrogen source such as animal manure or cottonseed meal. Never use materials from chemical- or pressure-treated wood.

Shredded leaves and pine needles: These are among the best sources of free, attractive and nutrient-rich mulch for flowerbeds, fruits and vegetables. Be sure to shred leaves before using to prevent matting in the garden. In fact, it is best to run over fallen leaves with a lawn mower, discharging them into easy-to-rake mounds.

Seed hulls and crop residue: These attractive, locally available, lightweight materials include cocoa bean, buckwheat hulls, ground corncobs and other materials left over from processing an agricultural crop. Use on top of newspaper or other sheet mulch to increase suppression of weeds.

Straw and hay: While these are traditional vegetable garden and strawberry mulches, beware! Hay contains weed seeds that will add to your problems. Straw from grain crops, such as oats and wheat, may contain some crop seeds, but is a better choice as weed-suppressing mulch. Allow the soil to warm up in the spring before putting mulch around tomatoes and other heat-loving crops because straw keeps the soil cool.

Law clippings: Clippings cost nothing and work best in flower and vegetable beds where they decompose quickly. Allow the clippings to dry on the lawn and then rake them up before using. Fresh clippings may mat down and become slimy as they decompose.

Newspaper and cardboard: Use cardboard or several layers of whole newspaper sheets in pathways or around landscape plants to smother weeds. Avoid the colored glossy pages. Cover with a thick layer or loose mulch, such as bark, shredded leaves or straw. Depending on rainfall, you may have to replace newspaper during the growing season.

Mulch provides many benefits to plants and soil: insulation, shade, moisture retention, weed reduction, and soil building. But when mulch is applied at the wrong time or in the wrong form, it can do more harm than good. Use the following guidelines to get the greatest benefit from your mulching effort.

First, make the most of your garden space, moisture, and organic matter (including mulch) by planting wide rows - a width that you can comfortably reach across, rather the width of a single plant. Wide row planting reduces the number of paths needed through your garden, and keeps more of the soil surface covered. This results in fewer weeds and better moisture retention, so your mulch can be applied where it is really needed.

~~Finished Compost Mulch~~
There is no bad time to add finished compost to the soil, but for maximum value from this black gold the best time is shortly after spring shoots and seedlings have gotten established and have their true leaves. Apply a layer of finished compost mulch. Often called a top dressing, this layer will merge with the topsoil quickly, but try to keep the compost from touching the plant stems anyway.

How thickly you layer the finished compost mulch depends on how much you have available and how much ground you have to cover. Even a thin layer is beneficial; it provides nutrients that gradually work their way down, and gives some protection against weeds, temperature extremes, hard rain, and so forth.

~~Partially Composted Material~~
Half-finished compost or compost that is noticeably fibrous is never good for mulching plants, or even for adding to the soil near growing plants. Separate additions of partially composted material from planting by at least two or three weeks. The best time to add this kind of compost is in October or November in ground that will be allowed to rest.

Soil bacteria will break down the material, but these organisms have to use nitrogen in order to do their work. Eventually, the microbes will release the nitrogen and make it available to plants again, but in the meantime, the half-finished compost has the effect of starving rather than feeding any growing plants.

~~Hay and Straw~~
Apply a layer of straw or hay once plants are beyond seedling stage. The timing also depends on soil temperature. Since this mulch forms an insulating layer, wait until the soil is warm; else the layer of mulch will insulate in the wrong way-preventing the soil from warming up.

In addition to the straw or hay forming an insulating layer and helping retain moisture, the mulch becomes a nice resting place for melons and squash.

Straw is more carbonaceous than hay, and will break down more slowly. Hay often has a moisture content, and will break down faster. Both are good mulches, but if slugs and snails are a problem, straw is better. Again, keep the mulch back from touching the plant stems.

~~Leaves and Grass Clippings~~
I prefer to compost leaves and grass rather than use them as mulch. Leaves are generally acidic, and affect the ph of the soil. However, some plants such as raspberries prefer slightly acidic soil, and for plants that don't like an acid ph, an amendment of lime could help neutralize the effect of the leaves.

Grass clippings can be very effective mulch - especially for moisture retention, but keep an eye on it. Grass packs down, preventing air circulation so that anaerobic decay occurs. Again, I prefer to compost grass; turning the compost keeps it aerated.

Mulching beds has become extremely popular these days, and mulch can be really beneficial to your plants and the soil in your planting beds, but there are things you need to watch for.

Here in Ohio the most popular type of mulch that people use is shredded hardwood bark mulch, which is a byproduct of the timber industry. When they haul the logs into the sawmill the first thing they do is debark them. Years ago the bark was a huge problem for the mills because there didn't seem to be a useful purpose for it, until people realized the hidden benefits that it held. Still to this day, the bark is a headache for the saw mills, and they don't always understand how to properly handle it.

They like to pile it as high as they can so it takes up less space in their yard. The mulch really tends to back up during the winter months because there is little demand for it. In order for the mills to pile the mulch high, they literally have to drive the large front end loaders up onto the pile. Of course the weight of these large machines compacts the mulch in the pile, and this can become a huge problem for you or I if we happen to get some mulch that has been stacked too high, and compacted too tightly.

When the trees are first debarked the mulch is fairly fresh, and needs to decompose before we dare use it around our plants. The decomposition process requires oxygen and air flow into the pile. When the mulch is compacted too tight, this air flow cannot take place, and as the mulch continues to decompose it becomes extremely hot as the organic matter ferments. Sometimes the extreme heat combined with the inability to release the heat can cause the pile to burst into flame through spontaneous combustion.

In other cases the mulch heats up, cannot release the gas, and the mulch actually becomes toxic. When this occurs the mulch develops an overbearing odor that will take your breath away as you dig into the pile. When you spread this toxic mulch around your plants the gas it contains is released, and this gas can and will burn your plants.

It has happened to me twice. Once at my own house, and once on a job I was doing for a customer. This toxic mulch is very potent. We spilled a little mulch in the foliage of a Dwarf Alberta Spruce that we were mulching around, and just a few minutes later brushed the mulch out of the plant. The next day my customer noticed that one side of the plant was all brown. The mulch had only been there for a matter of minutes.

Not only did I have to replace the Dwarf Alberta Spruce, but the mulch also damaged at least 10 other plants that I had to replace. I once saw where somebody ordered a truck load of mulch, had it dumped in their driveway, and as the toxic mulch slid out of the dump truck onto the asphalt the toxic gas that was released settled on the lawn next to the driveway.

The gas, not the mulch, turned the grass brown next to the mulch pile.

This same person spread several yards of the mulch around their house before they realized the problem, and it ruined many of their plants.

Now here's the hard part; trying to explain to you how to identify toxic mulch. It has a very strong odor that will take your breath away. But then again almost all mulch has a powerful odor. This is very different than your typical mulch smell, but I can't explain it any better than that.

The mulch looks perfectly normal, maybe a little darker in color than usual. If you suspect a problem with the mulch you have, take a couple of shovels full, and place it around an inexpensive plant. Maybe just a couple of flowers. When doing this test use mulch from inside the mulch pile and not from the edges. The mulch on the edge of the pile has more than likely released most of the toxic gas that it may have held.

If after 24 hours the test plants are okay, the mulch should be fine. The purpose of this article is not to induce panic at the mulch yard, but toxic mulch can do serious damage. At my house it burned the leaves right off some of the plants in my landscape, and burned the grass next to the bed all the way around the house. It looked like somebody had taken a torch and burned the grass back about 2” all the way around the bed. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I wouldn't have believed it.

You are welcome to use this article on your website or in your newsletter as long as you reprint it as is, including the contact information at the end. Website URLs must be active links. You are welcome to use this article with an affiliate link, http://www.freeplants.com.

As you drive around the Heartland, you see that most landscape beds are covered with some sort of mulch. Although many people consider decorative gravels as mulch, I would like to define landscape mulch as an organic material that is used as a ground cover. There are a number of different mulches to choose from. Perhaps I can help you discover the facts about different mulches and make your selection a little easier.

Mulches are used in landscape beds for a myriad of different reasons. First, mulch enhances the aesthetic look of a landscape. In addition a thick layer of mulch helps hold moisture in the soil. This water holding capacity is especially important during droughts and when trees and shrubs are first planted.

Probably one of the most important reasons to use mulch is to control weeds that seem to continually come up in your landscape beds. Mulch also controls erosion that could develop if the soils between shrubs would remain bare.

Mulch keeps plant roots cool during the hot part of the summer and warm during the coldest parts of the winter. In addition, mulch around a tree or shrub seems to be a visible barrier for the weedeater operator who wants to get as close as possible to trees and shrubs.

Of all the different kinds of mulch available, hardwood bark mulch seems to be the most popular, undoubtedly due to is low cost. It is the least expensive mulch found in the Heartland. Every sawmill in the Heartland produces hardwood bark mulch as a bi-product of the milling operation. Because it is so plentiful and local, hardwood buck mulch seems to be the mulch of choice.

There are some drawbacks to hardwood bark mulch. Pest control companies say that this mulch attracts termites. I doubt that it attracts termites, but there is no natural termite repellent in hardwood bark mulch. If termites are in the area, they will certainly like the addition to their home range.

Hardwood bark mulch tends to deteriorate rapidly, and often forms an impervious layer on the surface of the mulch bed. This impervious layer often contributes to the demise of azaleas and rhododendrons.

Cedar and cypress mulches are also available in the Heartland. Both of these woods have natural insect repellents present. In addition these mulches do not breakdown as rapidly as hardwood bark mulch.

Many gardeners like to use pine bark mulch, pine mini nuggets, or pine nuggets. The mulch is similar in appearance of hardwood bark mulch, but it does not form an impervious layer, as does hardwood bark mulch. The nuggets and mini nuggets are just larger particles of bark, great for use around azaleas and rhododendrons. Unfortunately the nuggets and mini nuggets blow in the wind and can be moved easily during a heavy rainstorm.

More and more azaleas and rhododendron growers are using pine needles as mulch. In southeastern United States, pine needles as used quite extensively, probably due to their abundance and low cost. In addition, leachates from pine needles keep the pH of the soil close to 5.0. Low pH is just what azaleas like.

If you want to have the sweetest landscape in town, try using cocoa bean mulch. This mulch is derived from the husks of cocoa beans. Its small particle size gives your landscape mulch a more formal look. It usually stays where you placed it no matter what the weather. Its only drawback seems to be cost.

I have just mentioned a few mulches that you can find on the market. In addition to the ones mentioned you can use gravels, colored mulch which is ground up used pallets and dyed, rubber mulch which is ground up used tires, leaves, grass clippings, sawdust, and wood chips.

Let me caution you about using mulch with a high content of wood or undecomposed leaf matter. The fungi that decompose wood and leaf matter require a lot of nitrogen to do their thing. This nitrogen is absorbed from the soil below the mulch. The depletion of soil nitrogen can be extremely detrimental to shrubs and trees growing in the raw mulch.

When you mulch use about a three to four inch layer. Make sure you keep the mulch an inch or two away from the stem of trees and shrubs. If you put the mulch up on the stem, the stem will slow rot due to all of the excess moisture, and your trees and shrubs will slowly die.

Mulch is not always a cure all. Its presence can cause problems. If your area is naturally wet, layers of mulch will inhibit soil drying. Plants in that area can actually drown during wet seasons.

Be sure you know what the mulch will do to soil pH, and the pH requirements of the plants in your landscape. As mentioned above, pine needles will reduce the soil pH to about 5.0. Hardwood bark mulch usually keeps the pH around 5.5 to 6.0.

One other problem shows up in hardwood bark mulch. Sometimes fungi grow on the mulch in warm wet weather. This disgusting looking fungus looks like an animal vomited in your landscape. In order to reduce this problem, occasionally stir the mulch to allow air to get into it. This should reduce the fungus problem.

I have given you a lot of information about organic mulch. I hope this helps you select the right mulch for your landscape.

One of the best long-term investments you can make in your soil is to spread mulching material throughout your garden. Mulch is a layer over the soil that conserves washer, suppresses weeds, reduces water runoff, and prevent erosion. When it decomposes mulch becomes a valuable addition to your soil structure. In addition to these tasks mulch creates a rich unified background for plants, shrubs and trees. Mulches never stops paying off for you or working for you

Sun and wind form a strong partnership to dry out garden beds and vegetable patches.Mulch is a layer of insulation that keeps the soil cool, which conserves moisture and reduces evaporation. Mulch reduces the damaging and drying effects of sun and wind. Instead of washing away soil rain seeps into the mulch and from there into the soil. During the winter in a garden, soil heaves from the effects of repeated freezing thawing and refreezing, this cycle can damage plants and shrubs also. Mulch with its insulating layer helps reduce soil damage and the danger to plants from the freeze and thaw cycle.

Many of the benefits of mulch are not readily visible. . Mulch workss slowly over a long period of time. However you will be able to see how much mulch cuts down on weeds by choking them out. Mulch makes the weeds that do sprout up easier to pull. To pull a weed spread the mulch away so you have clear access. In pulling the weed make sure to get all of its roots so none are left in the ground, make sure no seeds drop into the mulching material. When done respread the mulch in a smooth layer.

The structure of the soil is improved by organic mulch as it eventually breaks down and decomposes. Valuable nutrients are released into the soil by decomposing mulch. As decomposing mulch deteriorates it turns into a dark color and becomes a rich humus that enriches the soil. In choosing a mulch first consider the cost and the availability in your region. A garden center is the best place to look at different types of mulches it has open bins displaying the materials. A mulch with coarse particles last longer than ones with fine particles, which can become compacted and matted and can decompose faster. Pine needles are acidic, so they make an ideal mulch around shrubs that need an acid soil, such as azaleas and rhododendrons.

When shredded and dried grass clippings can be recycled as mulch.A two to three inch slayer of clippings works nicely; the thicker layer can clump and become too much of a covering.

A mulch of grass clippings is very beneficial to vegetables because they are high in nitrogen. Leave the clippings dry out on the lawn for a day or two.Then shred by running through a lawnmower with the bag on. Do not use grass clippings that were treated with broad- leaf weed killers.

And almost on exhaustible source of organic mulch is leaves, but they must be ground up first. Use a lawn mower with the bag, just as with grass clippings.spread a three inch covering over the ground.

At your local garden center or nursery you can buy bark wood chips and nuggets in 3 – cubic foot bags. One bag will cover 10-12 ft.² when spread to 3 inches. This can get expensive for larger areas. A less expensive option is to buy bark chips in bulk. They are sold by the cubic yard with a minimum order. You can save the delivery charge if you're able to haul them yourself.

Some of the most popular other natural materials include compost, straw, and hay. The general rule is to spread mulching material about 3 inches deep around the plant, but don't pack the mulch against tree trunks or plant stems.

Mulching is the application of organic matter on any exposed soil between plants and shrubs and should be carried out while the soil is warm and moist.

Benefits of Mulching

Retaining moisture

A good layer of garden compost or well-rotted mature will keep the soil below cool and moist and therefore help retain moisture. Never mulch on top of dry soil as it may stop rainwater soaking in.

Suppressing weeds

A layer of mulch will exclude light and therefore stop weed seeds germinating. However, you must ensure that the ground is weed free before you mulch as it does not actually stop the weeds from growing.

Improving the soil

The mulch will eventually be dragged down into the soil by worms thereby adding goodness to the lower levels of the soil. This is sometimes known as the "no dig" technique for soil improvement.

Types of Mulch

Manure

Fresh manure releases ammonia which can scorch or kill plants, therefore, should be kept for six months before being used so that it rots down sufficiently. Don't keep it too long though as you will find all the nutrients will have been washed out by the rain.

Leaf Mould

Leaf Mould is just well rotted leaves but it makes a wonderful mulch. Just collect fallen leaves during the Autumn, pack into black plastic bags, make some holes in the bags to allow rain water to escape and leave to rot down for 2-3 years.

Mushroom Compost

Mushroom compost tends to be alkaline due to the chalk used in the casing material but if you live in a mushroom growing area it can be a good source of organic matter. It is especially good for acid soils.

Chipped Bark

Chipped Bark is good for mulching but composted bark is excellent for soil improvement.

Garden Compost

Your own garden compost is rich in nutrients and is one of the best soil improvers there is so use it as a mulch every year to get the benefits.

Peat

Peat used to be the main soil improver for gardeners but in recent years more and more people are realising the damage peat-extraction is making to wetland areas so it is best avoided.

Compost can be too much of good thing when the pile is ready when all the garden beds are full. A little can be used for compost tea but what is one to do with the black gold when all the flowers are blooming and the veggies are growing to beat the band? If you do not want to dig up the soil, why not leave it and have your compost too?

For many gardeners, mulching is the best thing since sliced bread. A good layer of mulch, at least three inches thick, keeps soil cool in the summer heat and allows the roots to move out into the surrounding area near the surface where many nutrients lie. It will solve many water problems by preventing rain from splashing hard on the soil surface so as to prevent erosion while at the same time it slows evaporation by covering the soil surface. Water simply goes further. Plus the mulch aids against the age old scourge of the gardener, weeds. In the same manner that a box left on the lawn kills grass, mulch prevents sunshine from getting to those weeds and thus kills them.

While some gardeners advocate a year round mulch on the garden and even compost by burying their kitchen waste under the mulch layer, for others this is an invitation to every bug and veggie eating critter in miles. For us it is necessary to remove the mulch at the end of the garden season to allow the winter to kill the bugs. So if we are going to use a mulch it has to be added for the growing times. Furthermore, those of us with a cold spring as in most of the US and Canada, an early mulch slows the ground heating and the seeds starting.

Compost answers all the problems in the growing season. A well made compost can be applied deeply in the middle of summer without problem and serves as a feeding mulch for the plants. Every rain or watering makes compost tea that filters quickly to the roots for a feeding burst. Its loose structure and texture make it ideal for maneuvering around growing stems and leaves. If you garden in rows it can easily be added by the shovel full as you move up and down the garden. Raised bed gardeners can throw it around the plants by the handful even where the close plantings make their own growing mulch.

At the end of season the compost mulch can be left till spring or it can be dug in for winter. If left on top it serves as a barrier to wind erosion of the soil. If it is dug in the soil needs some other means of cover. In fact, for fantastic soil in our norther climate, the compost can be dug in and planted with annual rye that will sprout and hold the soil over winter. It will be dead by spring and can be dug in to feed the soil for an extra burst of nutrition as it composts on the spot.

Leaf shredders are used to recycle yard and garden leaves into mulch. Shredded leaves produces fine materials that composts faster. Most common type of leaf shredders are electric leaf shredders. Advanced electric leaf shredders can shred more amounts of leaves into mulch in no time.

In electric leaf shredders, leafs are mounted directly on a trash container. They consist of a leaf bag liner for instant disposal. Most electric leaf shredders have heavy duty flexible double cutting lines. The large funnel in electric leaf shredders allow easy loading of leaves. They can convert as much as 8 bags of leaves into mulch at once. Most electric leaf shredders have built in carrying handles and are easy to transport. Electric leaf shredders are easy to assemble and maintain.

Advanced electric leaf shredders consist of a string trimmer unit built into the base of a large funnel. They have five shredding settings from coarse to super fine. These shredders can shred dry leaves as well as wet leaves. If the leaves are wet, they are fed into the machine slowly. Advanced electric leaf shredders can convert as much as 11 bags of leaves into mulch at a time. They can also process pine needles, grass clippings and thatch. Most advanced electric leaf shedders have multi position hopper adjustment.

Handheld leaf shredders are ideal for lawn maintenance. Most of them have quick release latches for easy conversion. They can work on tough lawn chores, tight areas and hard surfaces. Most handheld leaf shredders also feature comfort control grip and extension cord lock.

What one thing can you do to improve any garden or landscape? Add mulch!

Mulch is a material, either organic (living) or inorganic (nonliving) placed atop garden soil. It provides a wide variety of benefits to your soil and plants. These include controlling weeds, keeping moisture in the soil longer, adding nutrients to the soil, reducing soil compaction, and moderating soil temperature. Adding mulch to your garden is a simple, easy way to help your plants become or stay healthy and strong.

Although inorganic mulches, such as gravel, can be used, they do not provide as many benefits as organic mulches such as wood chips, compost, or straw. They are also less commonly used. Therefore, this article will focus on organic mulches only.

Why put it on, not in, the soil?

Many people recommend adding organic matter, such as compost, to your soil when you plant a tree or shrub. This is actually a bad idea. Having amended soil in the planting hole next to un-amended soil outside the hole creates problems for the plant. Many roots will choose not to grow outside the cushy environment in the planting soil. Instead of growing far from the trunk, searching the soil for water and nutrients and stabilizing the plant, they grow in circles in the amended soil. This increases the odds that the plant will blow over in a windstorm and also limits plant growth, creating an unhealthy plant with a short life span. In addition, the organic material decomposes, and the soil sinks. This can leave roots exposed to the air, harming the plant.

Unlike soil amendments, mulch is a healthy way to add organic matter to your soil. Worms and other decomposers will gradually add bits of mulch to the soil, providing all the benefits of the organic matter. As the mulch decomposes, more can be added, providing a continual, steady source rather than a large, temporary source of organic material. Mulch also provides benefits that soil amendments can’t. For instance, worms and other creatures bringing decomposed mulch into the soil create air pockets and reduces soil compaction. Mulch adds a layer of insulation that moderates soil temperatures, which is easier on roots and plants. Unlike amendments, mulch can also suppress weed growth, reducing your workload.

Lazy gardening made easy

Mulch is also a great way to reduce the need for maintenance in your garden. Studies have shown that, on sites with no watering, weeding, or other maintenance, a simple mulch layer can dramatically improve plant survival and suppress weed growth. Even without other care, mulched plants grew and thrived, while those without mulch struggled to survive and were overtaken by weeds.

Mulch can also be obtained inexpensively. With a compost bin, you can turn yard waste and food scraps into mulch. Many arborists offer free wood chips, which make excellent mulch. For small areas, bark chips, straw, and other materials can be purchased relatively cheaply.

What are you waiting for? Get out and mulch your garden now. Your plants will thank you, and you’ll have more time to spend on other activities

One question that comes up this time of year a lot is what is the proper mulch to use for trees. It’s easy to grasp the basic premise of mulch, but when people go to their local nursery they see many different kinds. How do you know which one to use? The short answer: wood chips.

The very best mulch to use for trees is something that is going to decompose gradually. Mulch made from wood chips fits the bill perfectly, since it rots slowly, and as an added bonus, this mulch is quite low in nutrients so will not encourage weed growth. Composted wood chips are the preferred material; these can be used as durable, low-maintenance mulch, which weathers to a silver-gray color.

The bad news is that most wood chip mulch is sold as fresh material, not in a composted or aged state. These chips also decompose slowly, but as they do decompose, microorganisms develop in the mulch and use nutrients from the soil that might otherwise be available for plant growth. Composted material will not support these microorganisms, which is why it is the preferred material. One solution to this dilemma is to buy un-composted wood chips ahead of time and compost them yourself. Put them in a backyard composter along with some leaves, twigs and bark. Make sure to keep it well aerated and turned to prevent bad smelling mulch.

Go Organic

Organic mulches are advantageous also for their soil-enhancing characteristics, as opposed to inorganic mulch materials like crushed rock, gravel, tarps, and landscape fabrics. As organic mulches decompose over time, they slowly discharge tiny quantities of nutrients and to the soil. Therefore your layer of mulch should be renewed as needed to maintain a 2- to 4-inch depth.

For individual trees, your mulched area should cover from 3 to 6 feet out from the tree’s base. It is best to clear the mulch away 1 to 2 inches from the base of plants to help prevent damage to the tree trunk from insects, excess moisture, and diseases. In fact, this is the classic mistake that many people make with mulching trees.

You shouldn’t have a pile of wood chips around your tree that resembles the thing Richard Dreyfuss made in his kitchen in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Rather, it should look more like a flattened donut. This also holds true for mulching shrubs, by the way.

Follow these simple tips and your tree should do well and require less watering and fertilizer than an unmulched tree.

Many homeowners new to the world of outdoor plants fail to understand the part of mulch and the importance it plays in the landscape around flowers, trees, shrubs and plants. It does not matter what kind of landscaping or gardening is your passion: container gardening, flower or vegetable gardening, or planting trees and bushes, putting mulch around garden beds helps plants and you in a number of ways.

Conserving Water

Putting mulch around plants and flowers will help conserve water use. By mulching the area around the bushes, flower beds, trees and other spots in the landscape, you not only help protect plants during the hot, strong summer sun, mulch also helps keep the soil under the mulch moist for longer periods of time.

Weed Control

Mulching around plants and flower beds will help keep down or prevent weeds from growing and taking over flowerbeds. My rule is “No weeds for no seeds for no seeds for no weeds.” Mulch keeps the sun from reaching the soil and help stop weed seeds from sprouting. Weeds can grow easily around the base of flowers and plants with mulch down weeds have a much more difficult time growing. Plus the few weeds that do sprout can be pulled or removed with little effort.

Cold Protection

Mulch works during the summer months keeping moisture in and during the winter in areas that freeze by insulating the plant and roots. The important part is to put down a thick layer of mulch around the base of plants when you live in an area that freezes each winter. With a thick enough layer of mulch, it may be possible to prevent some tropical plants from freezing and dying from the cold weather.

Mulch for Beauty Alone

Mulch can also serve as another layer to enhance the beauty and provide and element of sophistication to garden beds too.

Variety of Mulch for the Landscape

There are so many materials that can be used for mulching the landscape. Wood chips are an excellent organic material along with shavings, or pine bark. Wood being an organic material will slowly break down over time and help build the soil. This will provide more nutrients for future plants.

Dried leaves which fall from the trees or grass clippings from the lawn also make excellent natural materials to use in mulching plants and flowers another is straw and hay. Just like the wood products these organic materials, will contribute to the overall richness and fertility of your soil as they breakdown.

Some people go for mulch materials that will last for many more years and some popular ones include plastic, and rubber material made from recycled tires.

Rocks and stones can be used as mulch also. The key is covering the exposed soil to retain moisture and prevent weed growth. However, mulch has been traditionally used to both protect the plants and flowers while also enriching the soil.

Do not underestimate the use of mulch and budget for it as part of the landscape cost.

Environmentalists are advocates for a clean and green environment. Their projects may start from the segregation of bio and non-bio degradable waste materials. Planting of trees in your backyard is also another.

In your own simple way…you can also be an environmentalist. Dare to make a difference…

Flowering plants, fruit-bearing trees, green meadow…these are all creations that need proper care. All of them add beauty to the surroundings. Now, your responsibility is to take care of the said creations.

Plants are very important because aside from adding splendor to the environment, they can also be the major source of food for both human beings and animals. There are ways that are designed to sustain nourishment in a plant’s life.

Aside from water and sunlight that are considered to be the basic needs of plants, natural components are also necessary for its growth. Mulch is one.

Mulch refers to any material placed over the soil in your garden. It helps in keeping moisture, deter weeds and protect the soil from erosion. Mulch has been used by most of the farmers and gardeners in the maintenance of the plants. For busy people who still want to ensure the health of the plants, mulch is best to use. It comes from various sources.

This natural component can either be purchased in a garden center or you can make your own by means of the shredding leaves, roots and other organic materials. It serves as an abundant fertilizer for your plants.

Here are some of the benefits of mulch:

• It is environmental friendly.

Rather than throwing the shred organic materials particularly the falling leaves coming from the tree, you can recycle it and create them into mulch. Through this, you are able to save money and preserve the environment.

• It is time-saving device.

It does not require you to consume much time just to tilt the soil and spray your plants all the time. When you put mulch into the plants it will prevent the weeds from sprouting into the garden.

• Constant watering is not necessary.

Mulch keeps the moisture of the soil so that you will not water the plants regularly. Mulch also helps in neutralizing the amount of heat transpiring in the plants.

• Plants are less susceptible to soil erosion.

Mulch enriches the soil and it will prevent rain from washing away the soil. A thicker layer of mulch is mostly preferable.

The only disadvantage about mulch is its unpleasant odor. You can always ignore it if you are really after the nourishment of the plants in your garden.