Mulch

What is mulch and what is its purpose? Mulching landscape beds offers several aesthetic and horticultural benefits. Fresh mulch brightens up landscape beds, providing a newly maintained and professional look. Plants benefit from mulch in a couple of different ways. First, mulch helps maintain moisture levels, which means less stress from inconsistent watering. By covering the soil with mulch, the soil temperatures are moderated, protecting plant roots from extremely cold or hot weather. Mulch also reduces weeds by depriving weed seeds of the light they require to germinate, or sprout. Lastly, the proper amount of mulch also keeps weed seeds from landing directly on the soil, further reducing the occurrence of weeds. Learn how to mulch like a pro in this instructional video and keep reading to figure out how much you need!

Now, notice the mention of ‘proper amount’ above. These benefits will only be fully present if the proper amount of mulch is maintained. The recommended depth is 3 inches. Mulch breaks down at different rates depending on water, exposure, etc., but a good rule of thumb is to plan on mulching at least once a year, although it may not be necessary to add a full 3 inches every year. Not sure how much you need? Let this simple calculator do the math for you! One cubic yard of mulch covers approximately 100 square feet at a depth of 3 inches.

To calculate your mulch needs, get the area in square feet, multiply by .25 (for 3 inches or a quarter of a foot), then divide by 27. (SQUARE FEET X .25) / 27 = CUBIC YARD

Choosing which kind of mulch to use is a matter of personal style and the qualities desired. For example, cedar mulch helps deter insects while hardwood mulch knits together well, helping reduce washing on sloped areas. We carry a variety of choices in both bags and in bulk. Our bags of mulch contain either 2 or 3 cubic feet (size is listed by product name on the inventory pages). What is bulk mulch? The term “bulk” means the mulch is sold as loose material, by the cubic yard. A truck or trailer is needed for bulk materials, or we can deliver to nearby areas.

Still have questions? Give us a call or email us for additional details!