’Tis the season for adding mulch to our landscaping. Mulching is an eco-friendly way to block weeds, regulate soil temperatures fight erosion and keep your landscaping neat. Just a reminder that two to four inches is an appropriate amount of mulch. You don’t want to suffocate your trees and plants, so too much mulch is detrimental to the plants.
Here are some options that you might want to consider when purchasing your mulch.
1. Cypress: most popular, low cost. Cypress mulch has a high environmental cost. Grinding cypress impacts our environment because it grows slowly and it is difficult to replace. The cypress trees that live in the wetlands store and filter water and provide a vital wildlife habitat. Cypress mulch is not an eco-friendly mulch.
2. Eucalyptus: grows rapidly, deters insects, retains color. The downside is that it does settle into the soil and it is more expensive and has to be trucked from far.
3. Metaleuca: these paperback tea trees are taking over Florida’s wetlands and they are looking to remove them. The company that processes the mulch actually replaces them with cypress, which is a positive addition to the environment. Look in your garden centers like Lowes for this product.
4. Cocoa mulch: comes from cocoa grinding. Nitrogen rich and it deters weeds and there is no maintenance required and affordable. The downside is it is dangerous to dogs.
5. Pine needles: also called pine straw; is renewable and it prevents runoff. It is excellent for acid-loving plants like roses and azaleas.
6. Newspaper: if you read it, use it as mulch. It is completely safe and is best used underneath grass clippings.
7. Rubber mulch: is cost effective and more durable. Rubber mulch is becoming popular as being eco friendly. There are concerns that it adds toxins to the ground and plants, so I am not sure why it should be considered eco friendly.
8. Make it yourself mulch: using grass clippings, chipped leaves. Obviously this is eco friendly because it’s from the earth and you save trucking and processing on top of that. Tips for making it yourself: remove weeds, put your mulch by the drip line or six to 12 inches from the base of the plant or trees.
See you all next week, and remember it’s easy and fun to be Green!