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Jan 06, 2024

GARDEN CLIPPINGS: Layer of mulch helps weed control, soil texture

Good gardeners know a good layer of mulch is good for the garden. Good gardeners know a good layer of mulch is good for the garden. For proof of mulch’s value, just examine the forest floor, perhaps

Good gardeners know a good layer of mulch is good for the garden.

Good gardeners know a good layer of mulch is good for the garden.

For proof of mulch’s value, just examine the forest floor, perhaps the healthiest place on Earth. It’s made up of layer upon layer of leaves, twigs and organic matter, all eventually turning into soil, covered by new mulch above — a perfect, sustaining ecosystem.

Horticulturists would be quick to suggest mulch’s primary benefits are weed control and moisture retention. Other benefits include reducing soil erosion, insulating against extreme heat and cold and increasing soil nutrients. A good layer of mulch improves soil texture and encourages beneficial soil and worm activity.

If appearances were not an issue, the best choice for mulch would be a mix of organic matter, which might include leaves, straw, grass clippings, bark, wood chips, manure, compost, peat and more. In short order, this organic mix would become nutrient-rich soil.

In my backyard back 40, where appearance is not critical, I use the most economical mulch available: ground-up wood chips. This mix of hard- and softwood lumber, run through a chipper or grinder, produces a somewhat consistent blend that suits my reforestation garden areas just fine.

Gardeners using economical ground-up trees as mulch should avoid using fresh chips, because they’ll draw nitrogen from soil, which is especially noticeable when applying to perennials and annuals. For better results, use chips that have turned from yellow to brown and are least six months old.

For the areas in my backyard landscape near the house, where I want a nicer-looking mulch, I use shredded red pine, a lumber industry byproduct with a rich, brown colour. Pine bark is mechanically shredded into a consistent-sized blend that meshes together to form a dense, long-lasting cover that does a great job of keeping out weeds.

Cedar mulch is the longest-lasting or slowest to break down. Slightly lighter in colour, its stringy pieces form a tighter mat. It has the added benefit of fragrance, especially when first put down.

Shredded hardwood mulch is an enhanced grade of economical wood chips, aged and shredded to a finer level. It’s budget-minded, easy to spread and offers reasonable longevity.

Coloured mulch is a wood byproduct with safe red, black or brown dye added. I don’t think I’ll ever appreciate red-dyed mulch, but black or brown can complement the garden nicely. Like all mulches, the enhanced colour slowly fades, opening the opportunity for a fresh layer every spring.

For those who want a near-zero-maintenance garden, consider stone aggregate mulch, applied over weed barrier landscape fabric. Though less environmentally friendly, stone mulch is stable, non-fading and very permanent, with excellent moisture-retaining and weed-inhibiting qualities.

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