4 Things You Can Use As Mulch
Posted on: 17 October 2019
When you think of mulch, what comes to mind? Most people picture shreds of wood or wood chips, since these substances are commonly sold as mulch at home supply and landscaping stores. Wood does make good mulch. It's heavy enough to not blow away, and it breaks down slowly, adding nutrients back to the soil. However, wood is not the only material you can use as mulch. Here's a look at a few other materials that may be better-suited to your needs.
1. Pine Needles
Do you have a pine tree on your property that sheds needles all over the place? Consider gathering them up and using them as mulch. The needles, like wood, will break down over time and add nutrients to the soil. Since they are smaller than the chunks of wood, they break down faster. Pine needles do tend to be slightly acidic, so if you already have trouble with your soil pH being too low, you'll want to avoid them. But they can be a really helpful mulch if you've been struggling with alkaline soil.
2. Raked Leaves
Leaves may look ugly when they are haphazardly strewn through your garden beds, so you may not think of using them as a mulch. But if you take time to chop the leaves up in a mulcher, they'll be a more attractive product. Just make sure you do not use leaves from a tree that was infested with any type of fungal disease, as this could provide the fungus a good place to reproduce and infect more trees. Raked leaves are really high in nitrogen, so they can help give garden plants a boost and reduce your need for chemical fertilizers.
3. Stone
Stone mulch won't break down, but it has a few other advantages. It's really heavy, making it a good choice for windy areas where mulches like pine needles and leaves blow away. It's also better at stopping weed growth than these other materials. If you use stone mulch, you'll just have to use a little more fertilizer on your soil.
4. Brick
If you like the color of red brick, you can use pieces of red brick as mulch. You can typically buy broken up bricks quite cheaply from a landscape supply store since these bits are basically useless to them. Brick, like stone, is heavy and does not break down, so you'll need to offer your plants another source of fertilizer.
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