Mulching for the Everyday Gardener
Gardening is a craft of details, with the tiniest deviation having a long term effect on the growth
of a plant or garden. Mulching, a big part of gardening, also involves lots of knowledge about the finer
aspects of your plants and the environment they’re in. It’s important to use the right mulch, so as to
ensure healthy soil. The right mulch plays many different roles, and may help with weed control,
temperature maintenance of plant roots, and other aspects of the soil. There are many different forms
of garden mulch, each meant to fit specific criteria.
Rubber Mulch
Rubber mulch is a relatively new addition to the market of garden mulches. It is great for
landscaping uses, in permanent walkways, driveways, and playgrounds. There are mixed reviews in
regards to rubber mulch around plants themselves. This
is because being less porous than wood chips, it allows water to flow straight down to the plant roots. It
is also denser than wood, and doesn’t blow away in the wind. However, some experts still recommend
wood because of its organic nature, and the fact that rubber does not offer any nutrients for the soil.
Environmentalists are big fans of landscape rubber mulch because of its eco-friendly nature. The mulch is made from
recycled tires that would otherwise rot in landfills. Using rubber mulch for gardening is the ultimate
practice of environmentalism.
Bark and Wood Chips
The precedents to rubber mulch, wood chips are often used for ornamental purposes, as well as
to cover the soil. A layer of compost should be placed beneath the wood chips to help break down
nutrients as the wood decays. It takes a while for bark to break down so it doesn’t have to be replaced
annually, but keep in mind that as wood decays it may turn a grayish color. Generally, wood chips
should be used around mature plants. Wood chips may contain carpenter ants, but they do not carry
tree diseases.
Leaf Mulch
Leaf mulch is a very common form of mulch that is easily made by collecting leaves during the
fall and allowing them to compost over approximately one year. It is important to ensure that the leaves
are fully composted before putting them around plants; putting chopped up leaves around plants will
cause them no good at all, rather stifling the plants and rotting. It is also of utmost importance that the
leaves should be weed-free. Leaves that are infested with weeds will result in a garden full of weeds.
Leaf mulch is great for water retention, and offers important minerals to the soil. Leaf mulch is best used
in conjunction with compost.
Grass Clippings
A cheap, easy, and successful mulch solution, grass clippings are one of the oldest forms of
mulch. Like leaves, it is important to ensure that the grass is from a weed free area, and they should be
mixed with some other form of organic mulch, such as leaf mulch. It is vital that all components of the
mulch should be weed free, so that they can adequately protect the plants from weeds. Grass clippings
should be lightly sprinkled.
There are many forms of mulch for gardening, each with pros and cons specific to the situation.
It is important to thoroughly research your plants and garden in order to choose the proper mulch.
Ruby Masterson is a self-taught gardener who is a big fan of rubber mulch for landscaping. She uses it for both practical and decorative
purposes.
