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To
Mulch or Not to Mulch
Keeping
your bedding areas mulched can be a worthwhile investment in money
and time for several reasons. So here are some general
guidelines to help you decide if it is time for mulching again and which type
might be best for your yard.
1)
How much mulch remains? If
you can see bare dirt, it is probably time to put down more mulch. To be
effective, a mulch layer should be at
least three inches deep. That
depth will help deter weed growth and retain moisture in the summer and hold
in ground warmth in winter.
2)
What type of mulch are you using? Mulch can be categorized as organic
(material that was once living) or inorganic (has never been alive).
Some examples of organic mulch are pine needles, chopped grass clippings or leaves,
shredded or chopped bark and newspaper. Organic
mulches decompose (compost) at different rates as they are exposed to the
elements until eventually they disappear completely into the soil.
Inorganic
mulches adapted to Texas include decorative pebbles, stones, gravel and
landscape fabric. They last longer and are more durable than organics.
As a general rule, using plastic as a mulch is not a good idea.
It allows no water, nutrients or oxygen to get to plant roots and often
turns into an above ground pool for mosquitoes.
3)
Why are you mulching? If the mulch is to deter weeds in a service area
behind the garage, any kind will be probably work.
In the public area of your yard, however, it is a different story.
A Japanese garden cries out for stones, pebbles or gravel that can be
raked into a formal design. But
in a cottage-style perennial and rose garden, that same technique would be out
of character. So choose your
mulch based on aesthetics as well as function.
Mulch does not “bring in”
termites; we are technically the foreigners.
A watchful eye and careful use of wood mulch should intercept termite
problems, however. A combination
of the two mulch types, using inorganic (such as bull rock) near the
foundation of your home and organic in bedding areas, might be the best
solution for insect fears.
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