4 Benefits of Mulching Your Yard

Benefits of Mulching Your Yard

While your trees, shrubs and flower beds can survive with only sunlight, soil and water, mulch is a secret ingredient used by many professional landscape companies. Find out why we use mulch at Design One Landscaping and how you can enjoy the benefits of mulching for your residential or commercial property.

Benefits of Mulching Your Yard

Healthy Plants

Mulch regulates the soil temperature, which helps reduce plant stress throughout the growing season. Many plants in Michigan can be harmed from an unexpected frost, but mulch is a barrier that reduces this risk.

It also shades seedlings. Intense, direct sunlight can quickly dry out small seedlings, but a little mulch cover can slow this process and help retain water.

As organic mulch starts to break down, it acts as a fertilizer to your trees, bushes and other plants. You’ll not only save money on fertilizer but also enjoy healthy, thriving plants with all those nutrients.

Energy-Efficient Landscaping

Keeping your commercial landscaping or home garden looking lush all summer long can require a significant amount of water. A generous layer of mulch soaks up water.

This increases penetration and reduces the evaporation of water around your plants for a more energy-efficient strategy. Don’t add more water to your landscaping, but improve water retention for thriving plants.

Excessive water use for landscaping can be an environmental concern and a drain on finances. Create a more environmentally friendly setup by retaining more water, preventing excessive sunlight on seedlings and enjoying deeper water penetration with professionally installed mulch.

Low-Maintenance Convenience

Landscaping is a time-consuming process. While there are many tricks and techniques to cut down on the labor involved with planting, watering, fertilizing and weeding your landscaping, mulching is an excellent time-saving technique.

A layer of mulch discourages weed growth. Mulch applied between 1 and 4 inches deep prevents sunlight from reaching the surrounding weeds. This allows you or your professional landscaping team to spend less time pulling weeds. It also reduces the need for herbicide use.

Mulching also prevents soil erosion. Routine watering and rain can cause your stunning landscaping to slowly slide and erode. This process can be reversed with the help of a professional team, but regular mulching prevents the need for this maintenance task.

Improves Curb Appeal

Professionally manicured and mulched landscaping improves your curb appeal. Weeds and bare dirt detract from the careful design of your landscape. Whether tailored to impress customers or help guests to relax in your backyard, mulched landscaping can add value and quality to your property.

Types of Mulch

While there are a significant number of mulching options available to you, they can be described as either organic or inorganic solutions. There are pros and cons to each mulching option, so discuss them both with your trusted landscaping team.

Organic

You need to use organic mulch if you want to take full advantage of the fertilizing effects of broken-down mulch. Here are a few common options for organic materials:

  • Pine straw
  • Pinewood, cypress or cedar chips
  • Crushed leaves
  • Grass clippings

These low-cost items can be piled around plants to take advantage of the above benefits. Wood chips come in a range of colors, which can be used to add to your property’s curb appeal.

Inorganic

For a more maintenance-free and long-lasting mulch, many home and business owners turn to inorganic options. These low-maintenance alternatives last longer to offer protection year after year:

  • Plastic or rubber chips
  • Crushed rock
  • Pebbles

Expect to pay more for inorganic mulch. After the initial investment, however, it may be a more affordable option for long-term use. Discuss your options with your local team to determine the best material, color and thickness to bring your landscaping together.

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