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| Photo Credit: Megan Bame |
| This red-colored mulch is an organic product that’s been dyed to create a punch of rich color to the landscape. |
Once your plants are in the ground and watered, you may think that your bed is finished. But there’s one more important task that deserves your attention: selecting and applying mulch.
Mulch not only adds an attractive touch to the landscape, it’s also beneficial to plant health. For starters, it helps decrease water use by up to 25 percent. It reduces soil compaction and erosion, increases soil aeration and eliminates the need to mow around trees and shrubs. Mulch also prevents weed seed germination and protects roots from changing soil temperatures, like freezing and thawing, which are often stressful to plants. The types of mulch are many – selecting the right one depends on your site, style and budget. | Add Photo to Journal |  | | Photo Credit: Megan Bame | | Mulch sold in bulk is generally nicer on the budget than buying bagged products. |
Organic mulches include pine bark, pine straw and hardwood chips. These materials decompose over time, which can be an advantage and a disadvantage. Some organic mulches, like pine straw, have to be replaced every year, while others, like pine bark, will last for several years. As the organic material decomposes, you might need to add a layer of fresh mulch to retain the desirable 3- to 4-inch depth. On the plus side, the decomposing mulch adds nutrients to the soil, creating a better environment for plant growth.
Inorganic mulches include rocks, recycled rubber and landscape cloths. Rocks come in colorful forms, crushed gravel, lava rocks and white pebbles. Though they never decompose, the longer they stay in the landscape, the more likely weed seed will blow in-between the material and start to sprout. The contrasting aesthetic of rocks may work well in developing your landscape’s style, but you should carefully consider where rock mulches are appropriate. For example, perennial and annual beds are always changing, and rock mulch can be difficult to move.
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