mulch your gardencan leave many welfare . Mulch can keep the territory cooler . Mulch can protect from wearing and even suppress gage . That said , quite a few mulch exist , include some that might be new to you or that you ’d not antecedently considered .
Today I name seven such types of mulch , so you canresearchto see which materials are available in your orbit . The finish should never be to transport in portion of a certain sort of mulch if another is available nearby in teemingness . Here I ’ll insure the simple pros and cons of each , as well as a couple of ideas on where to discover that mulch .
1. Compost
Compost can make great mulch , applied to the surface at any time of class to cover ground . Pros : It can warm up soil slimly while retaining hotness , and add up richness . yard bird : It can be expensive . Where to regain it : Talk to local vegetable farmers about where they get their compost , and also try landscapers . Look on the web , too — it ca n’t pain . you could also make your own mulch if you have the means and the cutting materials .
2. Straw
When the still hunt from a food grain is harvest and baled , you get straw . So grains are reap , and the stalks are disregard and bale after that . Pros : Straw contains fewer weed seeds than hay ( generally speaking ) , and it ’s very swooning and leisurely to move . Straw is a swell carbon rootage as well , and it keep the soil cool in the summer . convict : Straw can keep soil too cool in the spring for planting , and it can contain the ejaculate from its grains , which will work into a weed for you . Also , be mindful of broadleaf weed killer . Some granger spray their stalk fields to get clean straw . Where to find it : Online classified sites can be a outstanding straw resource , but if you have any cereal growers nearby , contact them and require what they have .
3. Hay
Grass hay , when dried and baled , can be a nutrient - rich source of stock or garden fodder . pro : Hay is nutrient rich and dull . It ’s great for weed suppression . Cons : The weed seed can be really risky for gardens . regard solarizing the bales before or after mulching . Where to discover it : Online classified internet site are often a good root . I also advocate asking people at your county propagation if they know of anyone who bales hay . County extension staffers can be a great resource for that .
4. Peat Moss
This is the dried moss from peat bogs . It ’s very abstemious and can be pretty “ moth-eaten . ”Pros : Peat is fairly cheap and light so wanton to move and disperse ( on non - windy days).Cons : There is some debate about the sustainability of peat . Also , it ’s a very acid substance so you might need to intermix it with something alkaline ( such as lime ) . confer with a soil expert if you project to use prominent amount of money . Where to come up it : Check with landscaper supply companies , or search the web for local distributors , especially if you live near peat peat bog .
5. Wood Chips
diminish branch and old trees often get turned into wood chips , which can be great in garden paths . Pros : Wood chips are decent at skunk suppression ; they ’re fairly light and well-situated to move . Cons : Any area that wood fleck extend to , they temporarily immerse atomic number 7 that your plant necessitate . So I advocate keep them in the path only , or around perennial . Where to encounter them : Contact tree diagram trimmers for spare Sir Henry Joseph Wood chips , or try the local landfill to see if it give away wood chips .
6. Cardboard
Though you take to pull the tape off first , cardboard can make a great garden mulch . Pros : Large sheets can cover a lot of ground . Cons : Weighting the cardboard down can be an issue , and pull off all the tape can be a challenge . Avoid cardboard with colored ink or glossy coating . Where to find it : Furniture supply memory board and other retail shop , new restaurants — there are pot of places to find cardboard . You do have to hound it down , but most shoes will give it to you for spare .
7. Leaves
Leaves can make a superb nutrient - rich primer cover . And at detached , it ’s one of the least expensive mulch materials . Pros : Leaves are to spread and wanton to acquire ; they contain a lot of the types of organic matter worm passion . Cons : Leaves can mat heavily , making it hard for perennials to come through . They ’re for weeds , but bad for garlic and bulb bloom . Where to find them : Call someone in city government or a barren - management company and see who collects leaves . Often , collector must pay to unload these at the landfill , so say you ’ll take them for free . If that does n’t ferment , check the landfill in the fall for fresh slews .
