Mulching

Why do we mulch? There are several reasons why I mulch. One, it conserves moisture, two, it
acts as a weed barrier, and for me, I like how it looks. It is the frame on the picture.

There are many kinds of mulch.. We like triple ground hardwood. This year we are trying a tinted one. It does look quite nice. A neighbor uses this and after a year it still looks good. Not a lot of fade. I know we choose mulch that compliments our homes. We have always mulched every year. We use approximately 2-3 inches. The triple ground breaks down and helps amend the soil.

A very important aspect of mulching is to keep yourself hydrated and take a break every now and then. Give yourself a rest.

For some odd reason, some people mound (volcano) the mulch around their trees. This can become a bad thing. To much of this can kill the tree. The tree will start dying from the top. Do check the flair of the tree and use that as your guide. When mulching around plants be careful not to put it too close to the stem of the plant. This could cause rotting.

Volcano

Mulched to High

Improper Mulching Results

There are many different kinds of mulch, wood chips, Coco shells (this is pretty and smells good), pine needles, stones, and shredded wood to name a few. At one of our homes we used stone with a fabric barrier. I felt the soil became sad and didn't lend its self to good growing habits. The Coco shells, while smelling good and was attractive, it was light and floated with the rain and didn't always stay where you wanted it. In different parts of the country, climate and other issues dictates what works for them.

Bag Mulch

Stone Mulch

Mulch is sold by the cubic foot or scoop. The size of a scoop varies, so it is always a crap shoot how much to get. Some people buy it by the bag. Every corner has mulch for sale. When buying mulch be sure you are getting what does the best job for you.


Delivery

A word of advise, don't try to put it down all at once if you have a large area. That is a problem for us, we don't like the pile of mulch lingering on the driveway. This year we tried to make it easier on ourselves. We went to our local John Deere store and purchased a Gator. Now when you figure the cost of the Gator into the cost of mulching, we could have hired it done for a few years. Oh well, as you get older you need to do something frivolous.

When we are mulching the laundry is endless. We get down and dirty. The Jacuzzi really works on the sore muscles. Remember you are working under trees. so check your self for ticks. They seem to lurk there.

This would be a good time to book a massage, or hire a young boy with a young back.


Mr. Mulch....Until next year
Louise