| Mulches There are several types of mulch that you can use in your yard. We will take a look at them , the advantages, disadvantages and different prices. Mulch is a essential part of our yards it serves many purposes. The first purpose is to keep weeds under control. By putting mulch in your flower beds it blocks the sunlight from reaching the weeds and stopping them from growing in your flower beds. Another reason for mulch is that is does very good for holding moisture in the ground, in other words it slows down the water evaporation rate. In South Carolina with our hot, dry summers we need all the water to our plants we can get. The third main reason for mulch is looks it looks a lot nicer than our red clay. Pine needles: Pine needles usually come in a bailed form. They are fairly inexpensive, about 3-4 dollars a bail depending on the season. I have found them to be cheaper in the fall. The advantages of pine straw is the price for one, the fact that they are relativly easy to put down, and it stays in place fairly well. The look they give is a nice look too. The disadvantages of pine needles are that it does not hold moister in very well, it needs to be replemished more often, it tends to have unwanted insect eggs in it, and last it does not do a very good job of controlling weeds. It also discolors and needs to be turned ofter. Soft wood mulches such as pine, pine bark are another option of mulch. This mulch is usually sold on 40-60 lb bags. This mulch does not have many advantages except it easy to transport in bags. It is an expensive mulch, will not control weeds at all (unless used in mass quantity), not very good at holding in moisture, and will wash away with a heavy or prolonged rain. It is also in my opinion a very good looking mulch. It will also decompose very quick. Hard wood mulch such as oak is the most popular option. It comes in many sizes, shapes, and ways to purchase. First this mulch is sold all over the place. It is usually sold by the yard which will cover a 9'X9' area 3" thick. This mulch come in 3 varities that I am aware of, Single grind($10-13 a yard), Double gring($14-18 a yard), Triple grind($18-30 a yard). The advantages of this mulch is it is comes in a variety of colors and textures, it is fairly afforadable, it can be easily found, it holds moisture in very well, it controls weed very good, and it will not wash away under heavy rains. Most places will deliver it free if you purchase it locally. The dis- advavtages of this mulch are it can be costly. It requires some muscle and time to spread. It need to be replemished yearly. It should be completly removed and replaced about every three years and it can get to moist and build up fungii. You also shuld know the some mulches are dyed now, even though the dye is safe it will fade after on season and you might not like the look of it. You shold put this mulch 3" thick or more to control weeds. Leaves are another form of muclh that happen naturally. Even though most people dont like the look of them they are very beneficial. They hold moisture in extremely well, they break down after one hot summer, and some (such as oak leaves) become a complete fertilizer after they break down. They are also free. The disadvantages of leaves are that they need to be grinded up or they will hold in too much moisture and build up fungii. Also you have to rake and transport them around your yard. As I said earlier they are not pretty to look at. I have foud the best results is grind you leaves and conver them with a light coat of oak mulch. This combo seams to break down well and creates a nice rich soil after about 3 years. Rocks and stones are also considered a mulch as well. The advantages of these is they can look great, you never need to replace them, they hold in moisture fairly well. They come in many sizes, colors and textures.The price can be both an advantage and disadvantage.depending on the stones you like. The disadvantages to rocks and stones are that they can be extremely hard to put down because of their weight, they wont control weeds very well and the weeds can be difficult to remove, and depending on the size of them they may come out into your lawn in a heavy rain. I also think you should be aware of a fungas called Atillery Fungas. This develops in hard WOOD mulch, and is a natural process. I have provided a link for you to read about it. I have found the best time to put down mulch is in the late winter early spring as it tends to be cheaper to purchase, and delivery is easy to schedule. I hope this helps out. Don Koller |
| Flower beds |