Mulch is a familiar term to everyone who has gardened. But what is mulch exactly, and why is it beneficial to your garden? This gardening supplement has different types and has a range of applications. Mulching material is essential for maintaining plant and tree health by retaining soil moisture and regulating roots’ temperature in summer and warmth in winter. It can also prevent the growth of weeds.

If you want to use mulch to insulate your soil before the seasons change, find out what material best meets your needs.

Scroll down to learn about the types and benefits of mulch.

What Is Mulch?

Garden mulch is a layer of organic or inorganic materials applied to the soil surface to enhance soil health and fertility. In addition to supporting plant health and keeping weeds down, it prevents mowers from damaging trees, reducing the risk of accidental injuries to roots or trunks.

What Are the Benefits of Mulch?

Primary benefits of mulch include:

  • Suppressing Weeds and Inhibiting Germination
  • Keeps light from weed seeds.
  • Reduces evaporation and soil moisture.
  • Controls erosion through stems.
  • Insulates root zone from extreme heat/cold.

Other benefits include:

  • Prevents plant pushout during freeze/thaw cycles, particularly after home tree removal, as it helps calm the soil where trees have been removed.
  • Adds nutrients, improves drainage, and reduces compaction.
  • Prevents hard crust formation, allowing water and nutrients to penetrate.
  • Reduces damage and disease for crops like melons, cucumbers, and tomatoes.
  • Lessens soil-borne diseases caused by water splashing onto foliage.
  • Enhances landscape appearance.

Types of Mulch

Once you’ve decided to use mulch, you have a lot of options. Securing mulch delivery simplifies the process, allowing you to choose from various mulch options based on local availability, cost, appearance, quality, soil benefits, and durability. Evaluate the organic and inorganic options for your landscape.

Organic Mulches

Organic mulches are natural materials that break down in the soil. In the short term, they provide numerous benefits for beds, including improved soil fertility, aeration, structure, and drainage over time.

Shredded bark

One of the most popular types of mulch is shredded bark, which is also less expensive than other varieties. Shredded bark is made from a range of wood byproducts, such as finely shredded bark. Since it resists water drainage, it is particularly helpful on hillsides and slopes where it is placed around trees and shrubs.

This ornamental mulch may need to be replaced every year or two as it decomposes slowly to nourish plants.

Wood chips

Wood chips are produced by grinding branches, stumps, and other wood waste into small pieces. This mulch is coarser than shredded bark and comes in various sizes, with larger chunks taking longer to decompose. They are mostly used as a more durable substitute for shredded bark in shrub borders and foundation areas.

INORGANIC MULCHES

Inorganic mulches, made from inert materials, are longer-lasting and more expensive than organic mulch.

Here are the most common types of inorganic mulchs:

Gravel and stone

Gravel and stone are commonly used in creating mulches, including crushed gravel, decomposed granite, lava rock, marble chips, pea gravel, pebbles, and river rock. This mulch is often used in cacti and rock gardens and can be applied around most plants to improve drainage and control weeds.