We all know sustainable lawn care and landscaping is easily achievable with the help of organic mulches. By now you have probably heard about natural mulches’ abilities to fertilize the soil, protect it from summer heat, weeds, pests, and diseases. Organic mulches decompose, releasing nutrients into the soil, keep weeds and insects far from your plantings and should always be applied in a layer no thicker than 3 inches. But just like everything else, organic mulches come with a fair share of pros and cons. Today, our lawn care Grayson, GA experts are here to offer you important details related to the most common types of organic mulches.
Grass Clippings
Good for: flower beds, the lawn, tree plantings
Pros: excellent fertilizer and insulator
Cons: grass clippings can mat together obstructing air and water flow
Recommendations: it is better to mix the clippings with other vegetal debris to avoid compaction; apply a layer of 2 inches thick tops and replace when necessary.
Shredded Leaves
Good for: flower beds, tree plantings
Pros: excellent fertilizers, it releases plenty of nitrogen into the soil; good soil insulator against heat
Cons: leaves scatter easily and need replacement often
Recommendations: let the leaves dry before using them as mulch, as moist leaves attract diseases and pests, also compacting very quickly; apply the mulch in a layer of 2 inches thick tops and sprinkle fresh soil over the leaves to prevent scattering;
Shredded Bark
Good for: visible areas of the landscape as they have a primary aesthetic purpose;
Pros: shredded bark makes an excellent barrier against pests and weeds; it looks amazing as a landscape aesthetic enhancement.
Cons: it has fewer fertilization properties as it decomposes slowly
Recommendations: our lawn care Grayson, GA specialists recommend you mix shredded bark with grass clippings or shredded leaves for fertilization purposes; for stronger protection against weeds, pests, and diseases, mix bark with inorganic mulch (landscape fabric) and with lime to cut down the natural acidity of the bark.
Seaweed
Good for: tree plantings, flower beds, vegetable garden
Pros: it makes an excellent insulator, fertilizer and pest repellent (useful mostly against snails)
Cons: it decomposes too fast sometimes, leaving behind dry patches which can further promote weed invasions; store-bought fresh seaweed can be too salty for some plants.
Recommendations: mix seaweed with grass clippings or straws to avoid compaction; refresh the layer to avoid the formation of dry patches; rinse the seaweed before in case you have salt-sensitive vegetation.
Buckwheat Hulls
Good for: flower beds, tree plantings and all visible areas of your property, especially the ones exposed to the sun for longer times.
Pros: excellent fertilizer and heat insulator; excellent weed and pest repellent; looks clean, neat, with a gorgeous texture, thus it is used for both aesthetic and functional features;
Cons: it can scatter quickly; it is a little bit expensive; it needs often replacements;
Recommendations: mix it with coarser mulches to prevent scattering; apply a layer that isn’t thicker than two inches.
In case you want to use organic mulches to boost your lawn and landscape’s health and looks, talk to your lawn care Grayson, GA experts and ask them to help you choose the best mulches for your soil type and the grasses, flowers, shrubs, trees and other plants you grow.
