Mulch Delivery | Omaha Ne Installation Tips
Mulching is the process when you apply any material on the soil to retain the soil’s moisture, prevent the growth of weeds, and control erosion to a considerable extent.
Apart from these important benefits, mulching also helps to improve the visual appeal of your landscapes. Mulching is a common activity carried out in commercial and personal gardens to improve the overall fertility and productivity of the soil.
A small mistake in this process can cause a lot of damage to the soil. The main purpose of mulching would be defeated if you don’t do it the right way.
Here are some mulching tips and tricks (advised by professionals) that you should remember during the process so that you protect the health of your soils and maintain the beauty of your landscapes.
1. Use the right type of mulch
Mulches are of two types-organic and inorganic. Organic mulches are most commonly used. They are mainly made from manure, compost, wooden & bark chips, leaves, straw, pine needles, buckwheat hulls, cocoa beans, and so on. Inorganic mulches are mostly used for commercial purposes. They come in different materials such as synthetic, rubber, and colored patterns.
If you are new to mulching, it is very important to talk to a landscape professional about the right kind of mulch you should use to keep your plants, flowers, and landscape healthy. If you have a garden that needs a lot of work related to digging, it is highly recommended that you opt for pine-straw mulches. Straw-based mulches are perfect for high-maintenance gardens and in cases, where you have to do a lot of replanting.
2. Avoid overusing of mulch
One of the most important mulching tips from experts is that you shouldn’t use mulch too much. This may damage your yard to a considerable extent. Yes, mulching protects the soil and retains the moisture in it, but it shouldn’t cause any roadblock for the healthy growth of roots.
According to experts, it is a good decision to apply a layer of mulch that is less than 3 inches. Anything more than this makes the roots dry and cause the plants to wither away. It is highly recommended that you have to mulch your garden only have the plants have sprouted nicely. Many plants find it difficult to grow through the layer of mulch and they die easily. Ensure you grow more plants for the health of the soil and consider mulch only as additional protection.
Having said this, it only makes sense to let you know that you shouldn’t be underusing mulch as well. Little or too much of use of mulch will not benefit the soil in any way. Please contact a mulch expert right away to know about how much mulch you should for the type of soil and plants in your garden. Generally, using about 3 inches of mulch twice a year should be good enough for a garden. However, for certain types of mulches and plants, using 2 inches could also be more than enough. So, you need to check for these things before you start mulching your yard.
3. Keep the mulch thin near tree trunks
When you are mulching near the tree trunks, edges, pavements or steps, you should apply a thin layer only. Have a thick layer of mulch near the tree trunks can cause the tree barks to rot easily. Thick mulches can also make the trees prone to insect infestations. Having a thin mulch around the trees will help the plants to hold the water properly and get the required nutrients.
4. Bare soils shouldn’t be ignored
Many homeowners make the mistake of mulching only the areas where the plants and crops are grown. However, this is a mistake. It is equally (if not more) important to mulch the bare soil as well.
This will protect the soil from getting eroded, thereby protecting the areas where you have grown plants as well. Many studies have proved that soils with mulch can hold their sediments up to 5 times more than bare soils.
5. Don’t apply anything under the mulch
If you thought that using a plastic or geotextile area underneath your mulch would keep the soil in your yard safe, you are mistaken.
Many people use this layer to keep inorganic mulches away from the soils. However, by doing so, they are only causing a lot of water runoff in the yard, preventing your garden from sporting a smooth look.
According to experts, the mulch has to be in direct contact with the soil, if you want to control problems such as erosion and infertility.
Organic mulches, especially, do a great job of retaining the moisture of the soil. Therefore, avoid snatching this property away by using a landscape fabric.
6. Use mulch to improve the visual appeal of your landscape
Yes, the main purpose of mulch is to improve the soil’s fertility, retain moisture and control erosion. However, it is a great idea to beautify the landscape in your garden and yard as well.
Apart from using in the garden, you can use mulches near sign posts to make your yard look attractive.
When choosing colored mulch, you should always try to match with the colors of your home exteriors. You can also choose contrasting colors to enhance the look of your landscape theme.
When you have a brick-themed house, it is highly recommended to use pine mulches that are brown or red.
This will compliment your house really well. However, if you want to think out of the box, you can also opt for dark-colored mulches to give a contrasting appeal to the place.
Follow these simple mulching tips and you will be surprised to know the effects it has on your garden adn overall lawn care.
As a first step, please invest a considerable amount of time and effort in talking to a mulching expert and choosing the right kind of mulch. This will ensure that you will get the full benefits of mulching for the soil in your garden.