What Are the Best Tips for Mulching in Maryland?
Clay Creek wants to share their years of experience in lawn maintenance with all the great communities in Central Maryland.
What are the top 5 benefits of mulch?
Mulch gives the exterior of your home a finished look and creates curb appeal.
It protects the soil from all elements of weather.
Mulch deters weeds and gives the soil nutrients needed for a healthy growing season.
It creates a blanket over the soil, which keeps out diseases from plants and trees.
Mulch helps to keep a balanced soil temperature.
How do I choose the right mulch for my yard?
The most common mulch used in Maryland landscapes is wood mulch. You can choose wood chips, compost, or shredded bark; each is organic and a great way to add nutrients to your soil. Mulch slowly decays into the ground, so over time, you are protecting the soil and giving it the nourishment it needs to grow healthy plants. A disadvantage of organic mulch is that it tends to turn gray within a year after it’s applied. Something to consider is having a colored mulch like a red bark mulch; it’s thinner in texture, so you won’t have it moving around on sloped areas, and the color will last a few years. Are you thinking of having a vegetable garden? Then straw or hay will give you the best bang for your buck. It’s inexpensive and an excellent way to add organic matter to your soil. As it breaks down, it gives the nutrients needed for a healthy growing season. If you can find weed-free hay, that’s even an added plus. Don’t pile it too close to the stems of the plants, as it will cause slugs to make a home in your vegetable garden. Not something any gardener wants to find! Rock mulch brings a variety of benefits to a homeowner. With so many styles to choose from, you have the perfect way to accent the exterior of your home. Whether it be river rock, lava rock, pea gravel, or quartz rock, each one brings a new texture to your property and helps to enhance your landscaping. Although it costs more than organic mulch, it is a one-time purchase as it doesn’t decompose and won’t blow away. A disadvantage to rock is that it holds the heat, so if you place it around trees and shrubs, it can cause the temperature to rise in the soil and cause stress to the plants. Something to consider is using stone for pathways or bordering areas to help transition from grass to a patio. Another option is inorganic mulch which consists of non-living material such as rubber or cardboard. A disadvantage to rubber mulch is that it doesn’t add any nutrients to the ground. It contains zinc which can be harmful to your plants and trees. The best areas to use rubber mulch are on a pathway or a playground. Because it has a heavier consistency, it works to keep sunlight out of the soil and gives excellent results for deterring weeds. One other disadvantage is there may be an odor coming from the rubber on those hot summer days.
What are the Dos and Don’ts when applying mulch?
Never apply mulch on a windy day as you will not only be wasting the cost of the mulch as it flies away, but you also can damage areas like your lawn not meant to be covered in the mulch. Did you know that piled mulch on your lawn can suffocate it and take away its oxygen? Not the best thing to have happened, especially since you paid for the mulch and now you have the added cost of replacing areas of your grass. When applying mulch, make sure you spread it evenly over the areas so that you don’t find yourself having piles of it resting against trees and plants: this is called a mulch volcano. When this happens, it creates a haven where fungi and rodents can make a home and deplete the plants and trees’ oxygen. Eventually, you may need to replace areas of the landscaping, which now becomes a costly mistake. A good rule to follow is to apply approximately 2 inches of mulch; it helps to block the sunlight from the soil and keeps a balanced soil temperature. Did you know that weeds require sunlight to germinate? So having a layer of mulch over the soil will save you countless hours of pulling weeds and trying to keep that well-maintained look in your yard. Before you apply mulch, one thing to do is remove any existing weeds in the landscaping, especially those dandelions that have a strong root system. Be aware of what areas you will be applying mulch as you don’t want to add it anywhere known for retaining moisture. Low areas of your yard, maybe near the end of a driveway or corner of your property, can hold water, encouraging slugs to form. You may want to consider using stone as an alternative to the mulch.Should I add fabric before mulching? Only use fabric when applying rock or stone. Did you know that you cut down approximately half of the water flow to the soil by adding fabric? You will also be defeating the purpose of organic mulch as it won’t be absorbed into the ground and give the nutrients needed for a healthy growing season.
Do I need to hire a professional lawn maintenance service to apply mulch?
If you are like most homeowners, your time is valuable, and with all the commitments you already have, why add more to your day. Do you really want to spend a weekend waiting in line to buy bags of mulch followed by working in your yard? A much better idea is to let our experienced team provide you with outstanding lawn maintenance services! Our knowledgeable team can create a design to add mulch and rock to enhance your home and increase your property value.