Selecting The Right Mulch For The Job
When you start to plan out a new garden or even revamp an existing garden it is important to give it the right tools with which to produce the flourishing garden you dream of.
What you want to grow will definitely factor in what sort of mulch you should select for your garden.
Basically, you have two choices — organic mulch and inorganic mulch.
In this particular case, Bacchus Marsh & Redgum Garden Centre** **is not referring to that which you may know as organically grown produce. This employs the use of natural weed and pest prevention as opposed to harsher man-made products that can allegedly cause problems.
Organic Mulch
Organic mulch is that which will break down. This product serves two purposes:
The first is that it helps provide sufficient protection to the soil and plant roots from our harsh Australian elements and assist with soil erosion control.
The second is that as the mulch breaks down it will contribute valuable nutrients to the soil, thus offering a good base in which to grow some fabulous plants.
This is especially favoured by vegetable and fruit growers but is not limited to this style of gardening. The rule of thumb with all organic mulches is that they must be given sufficient time to compost. As an example, wood chip requires to be left to sit for two years. If this is not done the mulch can leach valuable nutrients from the soil instead of offering them.
Inorganic Mulch
Inorganic mulch is that which will not break down and includes such products as stone, gravel, black plastic and any other item that will not break down. Whilst this selection of mulch does not necessarily offer nutrients to the soil it can still be a good choice to assist with weed control as well as helping to condition the soil.
This style of mulch can help the earth hold water, assist with soil erosion and keep the earth warm, thus increasing the bacterial activity in the soil.
The greatest benefit of this style of mulch, however, lies in the fact that it does not need to be topped up or replaced every two or three years.
We hope this has helped you in your garden planning and design. If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to drop in and chat with one of our qualified professionals.
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