Mulch is one of the basic but critical elements in establishing a garden in the first instance and maintaining one over the long term. It has 3 important functions, suppressing weeds, retaining soil moisture and adding organic matter. Different mulches do different jobs and we have already discussed organic sugar cane mulch as being the best mulch for veggie gardens in a previous blog.
Down to the nitty gritty of the other mulches, landscape mulches, the ones you will most commonly encounter when doing the main planted areas of your garden. As with anything there is a diversity of mulches to choose from, varying prices and the good and bad as well. Whilst it might seem a simple process to pick a mulch, some are definitely better than others.
To help discuss we will break them down and discuss the pros and cons of some of the more common ones starting with:
TeaTree Mulch
This is one of the most popular mulches in the northern rivers, tweed coast, gold coast areas and is by product of tea tree farming. On the plus side is Tea Tree mulch has termite repellant qualitys which is always something to consider, and it is in the middle as far price goes. When first spread it is attractive and aromatic. The downside though is due to the oil content, and what the industry calls fines, the smallest of the mulch particles, it tends to bind together over time and actually repels water, and prevents it from actually getting through to the soil even under steady rain. This is possibly the most important function of mulch, preserving moisture in the soil. It can also be quite dusty when you are moving it into place, expect to get dirty.
Pine Bark
Pine Bark is a mulch that doesn’t get used as often as it should in our local area and I would consider it to be the best mulch you can get for a number of reasons. The structure of the mulch allows great water penetration and the tannins in the bark will retard weed growth as well. It looks attractive and holds well for a number of years if applied thickly. It is also the easiest of the mulches to distribute and has little or no dust.
Mulching can be laborious but the use of pine bark will probably save you half the time to distribute compared with other types.
Cypress Pine Mulch
This mulch is a good allrounder. Again its naturally termite resistant, it has an attractive finish and lasts and holds it colour longer than its equivalent mulch in Ti Tree.
It has good water holding capacity but again, it can knit together over time, creating a layer that water finds hard to get through. As far as distributing it is concerned, it can be quite dusty, expect to get dirty.
If you have a sloping block then this is one of the better mulches to use.
Hardwood Chip
Hardwood chip is a good mulch and well priced.
It is long lasting, excellent at stopping weed seed from germinating and allows water to easily get through to the soil below, exactly what a mulch is supposed to do.
It might not be the most attractive mulch but it ages well and is very effective for its intended purpose.
River Pebbles / Decorative Stones
These are a great way to mulch areas such as pathways, paved areas etc and will always allow great water penetration and weeds are generally easily tended to within the pebbles. It’s a great contrast in any garden as well and can be used to link different areas together. The only concern with a product like river pebbles is the long term sustainability and environmental impacts but when used appropriately they always look good.
So, its ultimately a personal choice with mulches and budget will always come into the equation.
For Grounded's money though, you are better to spend a little extra on Pinebark mulch to get the best results for your garden and make the job just that much easier!