There is one gardening task that I absolute dread thinking about doing during the summer: mulching. It’s hot, humid & sunny; applying mulch in July or August is almost unbearable! To avoid having to do it in the summer, do it in the next month or two, and then reapply in the fall. If you’re not sure why you should use mulch, or which kind you should use, then click the link below!
Have you noticed that all the best landscapes around town have a thick layer of mulch? I can’t say that I’ve ever seen a landscape bed without mulch, and thought to myself, “Wow, that looks good.”
Not only is mulch aesthetically pleasing, but it is beneficial to your plants, and to yourself! Using mulch helps keep the weeds down, so you’ll save time and back breaking work pulling up weeds. It helps reduce soil erosion, and with our heavy rain showers, that’s an important one! Mulch helps the soil in your beds to retain moisture. In the summer, when it’s pushing 100 degrees, your plants will be glad that they have a nice layer of mulch around them! Mulch will break down into organic matter, enriching the soil and creating more available nutrients for your plants. That rich organic matter also encourages earthworms and other beneficial insects to live in the soil.
Are you convinced yet that you should use mulch? Now that you’re convinced, which kind should you use? Here are the most popular ones to choose from.
Pine Straw Mulch is so very common in Louisiana. It’s a premium mulch that doesn’t wash away when it rains. That’s probably a number one reason why it’s used so often. It also breaks down very consistently, enriching the soil, and indicating to you that it’s time for a refresh. Expect to freshen up your mulch twice a year when using Pine Straw.
I’d call Pine Bark Mulch the “bargain mulch.” While it does break down nicely into the soil, it floats when it rains. One big rainstorm, and half of your mulch could be down the drain. You’ll need to replenish this mulch twice a year. It’s not a bad idea to use it in a raised garden bed, because at the end of the season, you can till any remaining mulch into the soil. I wouldn’t recommend using it in every landscape bed around your home.
Hardwood Mulch is a very generic term. It’s not purely Pine Bark mulch, but it can contain some amounts of it. Depending on the brand, it’ll be a blend of different scarp wood and bark. Despite being a generic blend of mulches, I consider it a “step up” from Pine Bark mulch because it doesn’t float away as easily as Pine Bark.
Wood Straw Mulch is the best of the best! One of the only brands you’ll find in this category is Softscape. It is made from shredded wood, and has all the benefits of pine straw, yet is longer lasting! It won’t float away in the rain and lasts for many more months. You’ll pay a premium price for it, but you’ll only have to “top it off” about once a year. Happy Mulching!
