The Mysteries Of Mulch: Choosing The Perfect Mulch For Your Landscape As a homeowner, you have many choices to make when fashioning your ideal landscape plan. Where to position flower or vegetable gardens, grass or other plants, what species of flowers, shrubs or trees to incorporate into the plan, sun, shade and watering considerations, the list can go on and on. Smart landscapers know that including mulch inthe final plan is almost always a prudent choice, for both the beauty of the landscape and the health of the plant life. Just about all mulches provide a few basic benefits including soil moisture retention, soil temperature moderation, erosion control and a reduction in weed growth.With a little more research and forethought, you can choose the mulch that is perfect for your landscaping needs.

For pathways and even driveways, inorganic mulches such as pea gravel, crushed rocks and recycled rubber are all excellent choices. These mulches stay put and it matters not that they are devoid of nutrients.

Wood chips, mulch or shredded bark all work well in flower beds or shrub areas, with a 2 or 3

inch thick layer recommended. Other materials such as shredded leaves, pine needles, compost, and even grass clippings can also be used. Each material has its pros and cons to be weighed

before choosing what may work best for you.

Wood chips or shredded bark looks attractive and is fairly long lasting, but can be acidic and potentially harmful to some species. Shredded leaves hinder weed growth and are better than

average at retaining moisture, but can be ugly and may get matted if too wet. Pine needles are good for allowing water to reach the soil easily and are long lasting, but they may be unattractive or look unkempt to some.

Compost, whenused in combination with another mulch, is great for enriching the soil but is not

really effective when it comes to weed control. Fresh grass clippings are full of nitrogen, which can be beneficial, but this mulch looks unappealing to some and can get slimy and smelly if it is

applied too thicklyand gets soaking wet.

Straw or hay is a great organic choice for vegetable gardens. You can cover a larger area easily and economically. The savvy gardener knows to use only clean hay that is devoid of seeds and weeds. One disadvantage of hay or straw is its light weight which can be vulnerable to the effects

of high winds. For some, a good inorganic mulch option for vegetable gardens is black plastic film. It radiates heat to the soil while hindering weed growth and retaining moisture in the soil,

but is not biodegradable and can be difficult to recycle.

Choosing the perfect mulch for your landscaping needs need not be a difficult process. Armed with the knowledge of your local climate, your garden’s soil characteristics, and the pros and cons of the mulch choices available, you can easily unravel and solve the mysteries of mulch.

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