Eucalyptus also retains its color longer than cypress, aging from golden yellow to reddish tones. The mulch’s pleasing scent doubles as a deterrent to fleas and other lawn and garden pests. Unlike cypress, renewable eucalyptus grows rapidly on commercial plantations. Cypress mulches can also form fungal mats that inhibit water drainage. Shredded cypress, like many other shredded woods, will fade in color and decay within a year or two. Today logging companies clear-cut younger stands, and though mill remnants make up some cypress mulch products, entire trees make up others.Ĭypress also has some mulching drawbacks. This graceful native tree grows slowly and, once cut, is difficult to replace. According to University of Florida data, timber companies grind some 129,000 tons of the state’s cypress into mulch each year, part of a cycle that takes nearly 3 million more cubic feet of cypress than it replaces.Ĭypress thrives in freshwater wetlands, where it stores and filters water resources and provides a vital wildlife habitat. However, this relatively low-priced mulch comes with high environmental costs. Shredded cypress is one of the most popular mulches on the market. By minding your mulches, you can find mulch that is both garden- and eco-friendly. Yet some mulch can actually harm your plants and the environment. Mulch blocks weeds, regulates soil temperature and moisture, fights erosion, and keeps gardens looking neat and trim. The following is provided by Master Gardener Kathy Hummel, you can view the original article here. By periodically mulching or installing long-lasting mulch beds, you can keep up with your garden’s mulching needs and enjoy mulch’s many benefits. Allow soils to warm up a bit in spring before applying new mulch, which will keep soil temperatures as much as ten degrees cooler in the hotter summer months and prevent disease susceptibility. In colder climates, a good replenishing layer of organic mulch just before freezing can help plants and bulbs weather winter extremes. If mulch smells sour or rotten, it could harm your plants. Also always check the freshness of bulk mulches. If mulch becomes hard and matted, fluff to allow air and moisture to get through. When mulching trees, mulch out to the tree’s drip line but leave a few inches bare around the trunk where piled mulch could harbor wood-harming pests and lead to devastating trunk rot. Most mulches work best in two- to four-inch blankets. Overly thick mulches can suffocate roots.
Other lawn materials such as fallen twigs, hedge trimmings, and Spanish moss also make fine mulches. Compost the leaves for a season into “leaf mold” or spread in a loose, six-inch mulch layer that will compost in place. Instead of bagging, shred autumn leaves with a mower.
LIVING EARTH MULCH FULL
To block weeds further, lay down several full sheets of newspaper. Shred nonglossy newspaper and spread it several inches thick, then dampen and cover with a thin layer of wood mulch or grass clippings. Also call around to local landfills and recycling centers. When using freshly chipped wood, be sure to add a nitrogen fertilizer to offset decaying wood’s tendency to tie up soil nitrogen. Some tree service companies will unload truckloads of chippings at your doorstep. Local resources such as straw, peanut and pecan shells, corn husks, chemical-free sawdust, or composted manures work well as mulch. Peanut shells, cocoa hulls, pine bark and needles, and rubber make great mulch.