The weather doesn’t just determine how we enjoy our gardens, it also dictates what sort of gardening chores we tackle to make sure our yard and plants are thriving. When it comes to mulching our gardens and landscapes it’s ideal to mulch about twice a year.
A good rule of thumb is to mulch before the weather gets too extreme for the season. Mulching in spring or early summer helps your soil stay hydrated and mulching in the autumn or early winter can help insulate your plants from the cold.
Mulch is essentially a loose material that’s placed on top of soil for aesthetic purposes, landscape features, and to support plant health. It can be made from a range of inorganic and organic materials, though we recommend choosing organic mulch because it’s beneficial for the environment. Read on to learn about the four main benefits of using organic mulch.
#1: Improves Water Retention
Mulch is a great way to improve your soil’s water retention — and we all know making sure your garden gets the water it needs is essential. Better water retention means you don’t need to water your plants as often, saving you time and resources.
Adding a layer of mulch to the top of your soil forms a barrier between the air and the soil. This helps control temperature and limits evaporation, which in turn allows the soil to hold on to the absorbed moisture for longer, reducing runoff.
Another benefit, if you’re using mulch, is that the organic materials accumulate in the soil over time, making it more resistant to drought. Lastly, placing mulch around landscaped plants or trees prevents grass from intruding and competing for nutrients and resources.
#2: Repels Weeds
If “less time watering” is music to your ears, then you’ll probably love to hear that mulch can help repel and suppress weeds, too. According to an article in The New York Times:
“Mulch contributes to weed control by blocking the light that some unwanted species need to germinate. It also forms a barrier that prevents weed seeds from getting a foothold. Successful weeds could steal as much as 25 percent of the moisture that would otherwise reach the plants you’re trying to grow.”
Less weeds means less time spent weeding, but it also means that weeds won’t steal precious nutrients from your plants. Organic mulches will limit weed growth, though it won’t prevent it. If weed growth is your main concern, consider opting for an inorganic mulch. Just know that inorganic mulch carries the risk of damaging your soil and plants by limiting water and air distribution to the roots.
#3: Boost Soil Health & Quality
It’s no secret that healthy soil is an absolute necessity if you want a thriving garden. Taking cues from nature is a great way to keep our yards beautiful — and mulching replicates how soil is made in forests, only faster. Essentially, mulching in our gardens is borrowing nature’s natural processes and soil protection.
Mulch creates a good environment for growth. Additionally, as the material in organic mulch breaks down, its nutrients enter the soil. This fuels plants and makes soil stronger, healthier, and more disease-resistant. Not only does this benefit your garden, but it also benefits your yard’s ecosystem. If you’re opting for an environmentally friendly, wild garden, the organic materials in mulch will attract creatures like worms and beetles, which in turn supports soil health and feeds the birds.
#4: Helps Improve the Aesthetic of Your Landscape
Part of the reason we garden is for the beauty it brings to our home and our property. It’s amazing that mulch does so much to help our plants and gardens thrive, but it is also a visually appealing material that can make your gardens and landscaping look more cohesive. From red to brown to black, the composition of the material typically dictates the color of your mulch. Though it’s important to point out that many manufacturers will add dye to enhance the color. There are pros and cons to using dyed mulch. People enjoy the rich color but the sun and rain can cause fading and the dye will leach into the soil.
At Lenz Enterprises, we never add dyes to our materials; they are naturally rich in color.
Superior Mulch for Every Landscape
Whether you’re adding mulch to improve the aesthetic of your garden or to support soil health, Lenz Enterprises carries a variety of rich mulches to help you achieve your landscape goals. We source premium materials to produce our mulch. From Medium Bark to Black Bark Mulch to Lenz Mulch — a specialty blend of fine bark mixed with our premium GreenBlenz Compost, you’ll find the right material to support your landscaping needs.
If you have questions about which mulch to use, give us a call or stop by the yard. Our team can help estimate the amount you’ll need and we can deliver it too.
About
From bark to boulders, Lenz Enterprises offers homeowners and contractors a wide range of premium landscaping material at competitive prices. www.Lenz-Enterprises.com 360-629-2933.