Spring is finally here folks. Finally. I really do love winter, but this year somehow I've longed for the warmer days to come faster. And now that they are already here, I have decided to turn my ordinary garden into the Eden one. I did my research, especially about the design, look and décor, so I've decided to use mulch around the trees and flower beds. Besides being extremely decorative, mulching is a great way to improve the soil's fertility and health. Mulch can be used literally anywhere you want – around the flower beds, trees, shrubs, etc.

….so what is mulch anyway?

Generally speaking, mulch is considered as any material which has the purpose to cover the soil. This includes elements like pebbles, stones, compost and straw.

Benefits of Mulching


Unlike in the past, nowadays, tree experts believe that the soil shouldn't be left exposed and the reasons are truly impressive. They certainly deserve to be considered. According to arborists and botanists, any type of ground covering protects the soil from erosion, helps it to retain more moisture and maintains its temperature at the needed level. In other words, mulching can control soil erosion by keeping the soil safe from rain and wind. And since mulching retains moisture, this means that frequent watering is put at bay. Additionally, it maintains the soil temperature which is beneficial for plant growth. Now, before mulching, arborists recommend getting rid of weeds first. Weeds have two negative things: they look ugly and can steal valuable nutrients from plants. You can either kill them or pull them, the choice is all up to you.

Types of Mulch


The first thing to know before buying mulch is that there are two types of mulching: organic and inorganic. As the name implies, organic mulching is made of natural materials that can break down over time. As an example of organic mulching are compost, wood bark, wood chips, straw and grass. As a part of inorganic mulch are stones, pebbles and gravel. Now, while both of these types of mulch can prevent weed from growing, usually, it's the organic ones that are more beneficial for the soil. This is because organic mulch can provide added nutritional benefits to both the plants and the soil.

Types of Organic Mulch


As we already mentioned, organic mulch is great in adding nutrients to the soil and unlike inorganic, this type of mulch can break down and decay into the soil over some period of time. There are several types of organic mulch and all of them have their differences.

  • Wood Bark – Wood barks are the outermost layers of stems and roots of any type of wood. Usually, wood barks come in larger pieces and can decay really slowly. The most important thing you need to know about wood barks is that they should be applied on top of the soil and not to mix it with it.
  • Wood Chips – When compared to bark, wood chips are smaller and they consist of chopped pieces of branches and plant matter. When compared to bark, wood chips ground cover retains water better and they can break down faster than bark. According to specialists, wood chips ground cover can foster the growth of mycorrhizal fungi which can certainly spread to the soil of some neighbouring beds. These fungi can certainly help to improve the overall health of the soil ecosystem. When in the search for wood chips, you should know that there are different types of them available on the market. Hardwood wood chips, for instance, consist of chopped up pieces of hardwood bark. These chips decompose faster because of their small size. On the other hand, you can also opt for fresh wood chips which you can even make on your own. All you need is some broken limbs and shipper/spreader. Simple as that.
  • Compost – Although extremely beneficial, the main downside of compost is that it's too fine to be used as a ground cover. That is why compost is mainly mixed with the soil to add more nutrition and wood coverings are used for the decorative part.

Types of Inorganic Mulch


When it comes to choosing an inorganic mulch, then you can certainly check out the many types of stones, pebbles and gravel. Although stones, these types of inorganic mulch are great in keeping moisture. They are extremely decorative, but unfortunately, inorganic mulch cannot provide the soil and plants with nutrients.

How Much Mulch Do You Need?


One of the easiest ways to find out how much mulch do you need is by calculating it online. However, this could be a little risky, which is why using the services of a professional tree company would be great. Usually, all professional tree service companies have a professional team of experts who can pay you a visit, calculate and place the mulch by themselves.