How To Use Mulch In Your Landscape

Here at C & L Landscape, we often utilize mulch in our Jacksonville landscaping projects. Not only does it make the landscaping look fresh for years to come, it also serves a very important purpose, especially here in our climate. In today’s blog, we’re going to talk a little bit about what mulch is, what it does, and how you can use it in your own yard.

What Is Mulch And What Does It Do?

Mulch is a substance spread over soil that helps to retain moisture and prevent the growth of weeds. You can find it in many recently landscaped yards and parks, as it adds both aesthetic beauty and serves a function. Mulch can also help to keep the soil cool, which as we discussed in our last blog, is incredibly important during these hot summer months as soil that gets too hot can become cracked and allow shallow roots to die, killing the plants on the surface.

When most people picture mulch, they picture shredded bark or wood chips. This is one of our favorite types of mulch to work with, as it looks beautiful, doesn’t easily blow away, comes in a variety of colors and adds a unique texture to any yard. However, mulch can also consist of shredded leaves, straw, pine needles, peat moss, and even newspaper or plastic.

Organic mulch will decompose over time, adding valuable nutrients to the soil and improving the quality of the soil. However, this does mean it will need to be replaced every so often. Certain mulches, such as leaves and grass clippings, degrade rapidly and perform best in garden beds where you find yourself digging a lot and moving the soil around anyways. On the other hand, bark and wood chips can last up to ten years before needing to be replaced and are best used in places you won’t be digging any time soon, such as the base of trees and around permanent plants.   

Mulch also serves the purpose of reducing soil erosion and splattering. Perhaps you have gone into your yard after a rainstorm and seen all of your ncie soil and garden fertilizer has washed away onto the sidewalk. A nice layer of mulch can help keep the soil in place while still giving it those nutrients we mentioned above. This helps to increase the longevity of your landscaping investment.

Mulch Helps To Create Boundaries

You’ve likely seen mulch extending from the base of trees and shrubs. What you may not know is that one of the main purposes this placement of mulch serves is to protect the trees and bushes from human error. When you mow your lawn, it can be easy to accidentally get too close to a tree, taking a chunk out of the bark and damaging the trunk. However, because your tree is surrounded by a few feet of mulch, it makes mowing close to the trunk non-essential. If your established trees have roots that splay across the ground, we will typically mulch beyond these so you don’t accidentally mow over them. Not only does this protect your tree, but it protects your lawn mower too!

Want To Add Mulch To Your Landscaping?

If you take a look at our gallery, you will see that we are experts at placing mulch and making it look amazing. We’d love to add this functional and beautiful product to your yard, too! If your front or backyard needs an update, be sure to get in touch with C & L Landscape, your Jacksonville residential landscaping company, to discuss ways to beautify your yard to fit your style, needs, and budget.

Related Tag: Lawn Sprinkler System Installation