5 Signs A Landscape Needs Mulching
Posted on: 28 June 2022
Mulching is one of the most basic landscaping needs. Not all spots on a property require it, but it can make a major difference wherever it proves to be necessary. If you're not sure if your landscape requires mulching services, look for any of the five items on this checklist.
Wilting Plants
Even if you're diligent about watering your plants, the process can become a battle against evaporation. Water from the ground will evaporate into the air and go away, often before your plants get any benefit from it. This can cause the plants to wilt.
Especially if the plants perk up after watering, this is a sign mulching may help. Mulch provides a barrier. The water will soak into the ground, but it will run into the mulch as it evaporates. This slows down the evaporation process, giving your plants more time to use the water.
Ugly Ground
A plant may thrive while the ground around it looks rough. This is especially true once a bush starts to establish itself. In this case, you're using mulching services mostly for aesthetic reasons. The mulch will hide the ugly ground underneath the plant, and the mulch's color can provide a pleasant visual contrast with the green of the surrounding grass.
Invasive Species and Weeds
In the same way that mulch provides a barrier against evaporation, it also serves as a barrier against invasive plants. If you're seeing lots of weeds appearing around the bases of your planets, mulching may be an option. The mulch won't serve to completely prevent weeds and invasive species, but it will make them work harder to break through to the surface. Likewise, your preferred plants will have time to absorb water and nutrients, giving them a chance to colonize and dominate the area.
New Plants
All of the previous problems are amplified when you put in new plants. Mulching makes a big difference because you want a new plant to have time to put down roots and take control of the soil around it. With mulch around it, a new plant will be hydrated and better protected.
Nutrient-Poor Soil
Especially in areas with high rates of run-off, it can be a challenge to keep nutrients in the soil while you grow plants. You can add fertilizer, but this may run off whenever there are storms. One solution, though, is mulching. The mulch will break some of the force of the flowing water, keeping more of the fertilized soil in place.
For more information on mulching, contact a professional near you.
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