Weeds: one of a grower’s worst nightmares. These unwelcome pests not only invade your garden beds but can also threaten plant growth. While your landscape and gardens may be dormant in the winter, tending to your soil now to get ahead of weed control with mulch can help keep weeds at bay when the blooming season begins.
Weeds are not only annoying, they’re costly: Economic losses from weeds exceed $20 billion annually across the country—and when an invasion of weeds is present, it can damage watersheds, increase soil erosion, and cause damage that can permanently alter the biodiversity of local ecosystems.
In this blog, we review the benefits of mulching before the warm weather hits, as well as types of mulch, and how to apply it to stop weeds before they take hold.
Benefits of Mulch
Not only can mulch help regulate soil temperature, but there are many other advantages including its ability to:
- Decrease soil erosion by protecting the soil from wind and heavy rains.
- Regulate soil moisture and decrease watering needs by reducing water evaporation.
- Improve soil quality by neutralizing the level of acidity and alkalinity in soil (known as pH) and adding vital nutrition.
- Reduce the severity of some plant diseases by minimizing the spread of diseased soil spores between plants.
Types of Mulch
Mulch varies in composition and size. So how do you know which type to use? It depends on the area you’re mulching and the aesthetic you desire! For instance, Lenz’s Woodchip Mulch is composed of coarse, all natural aromatic material that is ideal for walkways and ground cover because it’s thicker compared to an aged, fine screened fir and hemlock bark mulch like Lenz’s Black Bark Mulch.
More so, coarse textured mulch tends to be more ideal for weed suppression because it lasts longer whereas finer mulch can break down quickly and will need to be reapplied more often to prevent weeds. The type of mulch you choose also heavily depends on the landscape design aesthetic you want to achieve.
Regardless of your project, it’s important to choose a natural mulch to avoid introducing chemicals that come from dyed mulch, which can leach into the soil and impact plant health. Mulch made from plastic, rubber, or other synthetic materials is extremely harmful to the environment and to your foliage, preventing water and oxygen from reaching your plant roots.
All Lenz Mulch varieties are 100 percent natural and never contain dyes or additives
to protect the health of your plants and the earth. A customer favorite is our Lenz Mulch. It’s a special blend of fine bark and GreenBlenz Compost which not only helps suppress weeds but the microbes in the compost help support soil health. When it comes to the ideal size of mulch, Lenz Mulch is processed through a ½ inch screen which allows new plant growth to emerge while providing superior drainage, temperature regulation, and balanced moisture retention. Plus, it tends to last longer which means you won’t need to replenish as often.
Vegetable Gardens vs Flower Beds: Which Mulch is Best?
If you’re thinking of adding newspaper or cardboard to help suppress weeds and protect your plants —think again—these can attract pests and rodents. When applied properly, mulch is all you need for weed suppression and it provides multiple health benefits for your vegetable and flower gardens. But, which mulch is best?
- Flower Gardens. Flower gardens love high-quality compost and can also benefit from being top dressed with a mulch-compost blend which will help regulate soil temperature, retain moisture, suppress weeds and support soil health.
- Vegetable Gardens. Vegetable gardens appreciate a healthy layer of compost too and can benefit from a top dressing of a Lenz’s Woodchip Mulch. In addition to suppressing weeds and regulating soil temperature, a good layer of mulch around your vegetable plants can help prevent soil-borne diseases and root rot. Tomatoes, squash, and cucumbers are particularly vulnerable to soil-borne pathogens and they benefit from the protection of mulch which provides a soil barrier and helps reduce the transmission of disease.
Tips for Applying Mulch
Applying too much mulch can slow plant growth by preventing enough oxygen and water to reach the roots; while too little mulch won’t be enough to suppress weeds. Here’s a simple guide to help you apply just the right amount to your landscapes and gardens:
Landscaping: Add 2 to 4 inches of mulch on top of your soil. Don’t place mulch right up against tree trunks, as it can interfere with growth and cause problems with the bark. Instead, leave at least 6 inches of room before starting your mulch line and extend your mulch to the outermost edge of the tree’s leaves.
Vegetable gardens and flower beds: A depth of 3 to 4 inches of mulch provides weed suppression and insulation while still enabling enough air and moisture to reach the soil and nourish your plants.
Proactive Weed Prevention
Despite every effort to fight them, weeds are inevitable. However, the saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” holds fast and true when it comes to weed management.
Get ahead of spring weeds by mulching now to save time and energy during your growing season. When you need advice for your yard and gardens, give us a call. We’re happy to provide recommendations to meet the needs of your landscape and we can give you a list of landscape professionals who will help you complete your project.
Thanks for Reading!
If you found this article helpful, get to know us by following Lenz Enterprises on Facebook and Instagram. We regularly provide education about soil, compost, and Earth materials, gardening advice and plenty of humor too! If you’re located in western Washington and need soil, compost, mulch, sand, or gravel, give us a call 360-629-2933, we’re here to help.