10 Must Know and How To’s of Mulch

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10 Must Know and How Tos of Mulch
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• 1. Make sure not to use mulch made from forest
  products such as construction debris, moldy
  timber, old flooring, handrails, staircases,
  subfloors, pressure-treated wood, and more. Your
  wood mulch should be made from natural pine,
  hemlock, cedar, or a similar tree species.
• 2. Mulch is great for weed control. By limiting
  sunlight to any weed seeds in the soil, a good
  layer of mulch will help prevent their
  germination and spread.
• 3. Mulch regulates soil temperatures and
  moistures Mulch moderates the soil wetting and
  drying cycle between irrigations and balances
  soil temperatures around roots, enhancing plant
  growth. Mulch also reduces compaction and erosion
  from irrigation, rainfall, and foot traffic.
• 4. Organic mulch and organic soil can be composed
  of a variety of materials, such as compost,
  leaves, grass clippings, tree bark, hay, wood
  chips, sawdust, straw, pine needles, cardboard,
  and newspaper (not the glossy pages).

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• 5. Pine Straw mulch is perfect for plants such as
  azaleas, gardenias, camellias, blueberries,
  hydrangeas, and evergreen shrub beds. It is easy
  to collect beneath pine trees, as it is light,
  easy to work with, lasts longer than many other
  types of mulch, and does well holding in soil
  moisture.
• 6. Cedar mulch is coarsely shredded wood, which
  is stingy and lasts longer than hardwood mulch.
  Twice-ground cedar mulch is finely ground and
  will compost faster.
• 7. Before installing new mulch to your garden,
  playground, or community area, make sure to
  remove any accumulated old remains, trash, and
  garbage. The health of the soil underneath will
  be protected better as a result.
• 8. Make sure you replenish your mulch every year
  or so as it will break down over time.

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• 9. Mulch may clump up if the season is
  particularly wet. Fluff your mulch by stirring
  it with a rake or alternative garden tool to
  eliminate lumps and enhance its overall
  aesthetic.
• 10. When planning for mulch installation never
  use more than three inches of bedding. Installing
  a thick layer of mulch will suffocate plants and
  trees and cause them to die. Also Using too much
  mulch can attract termites and other pests and
  insects to the yard.