Mulch Variety is the Spice of a Foolproof Yard

Mulch is the MVP and pinch-hitter of every landscape. What can mulch do? Mulch more than you’d expect.

Not only does it serve a variety of functions. It also comes in a variety of forms. Virtually any yard can find the perfect accompaniment to its aesthetic in some mulch variety.

So what do you look for in your mulch, and how do you pick the variety that will suit your needs? We have the Perfect way for you to learn all about it today.

How Mulch Helps Your Garden

As we said, mulch serves a variety of functions in your yard. It prevents weeds, insulates your gardens, dispels pests, feeds your plants as it breaks down, and improves the way everything looks.

Mulch is Meryl Streep in the Devil Wears Prada. It does it all and looks fabulous while doing it.

But not every mulch is suitable for every place. What mulch you use where will depend on your particular needs. So let’s discuss those needs and how mulch can meet them.

Where Each Mulch Variety Fits

When you are picking the right mulch, you need to consider two things: what you need your mulch to do and how you want it to look.

When it comes to the purpose of your mulch, it’s helpful to divide it into its two most basic categories, Organic and Inorganic Mulch.

Organic Mulches

Organic mulches are mulches derived from plant sources and break down over time. When we think of mulch, this is typically the type we imagine. The most common mulches are made from shredded trees, as you find in the hardware stores.

But gardeners traditionally made mulch from whatever plant material was common in the area of the country where they planted. In the southwest, you might find corncobs beings used.

Other mulch materials include nut shells, leaves, and grass clippings. Around here, you will often find traditional mulches such as pine needles, cedar, and other tree mulches.

Inorganic Mulch Varieties

Inorganic mulches are typically manufactured, but some natural materials are also used in inorganic mulch. For example, stone mulch is inorganic. Another common natural inorganic mulch variety is crushed shells, often used in coastal region gardens.

Manufactured mulches are made from varied materials, including tires for rubber mulch, recycled glass, and plastic.

Which Mulch is Better?

There’s not one answer to which mulch is better. It depends on how you’re using it.

The advantage of organic over inorganic mulch is the same as the disadvantage. Organic mulch breaks down.

As mulch deteriorates, it feeds the soil and needs to be replaced. That’s useful in gardens but takes more maintenance than mulch that never changes.

Where to Use Each Mulch Variety

Because mulch is a part of your landscape and landscaping is a matter of taste, you can take our suggestions for where to use mulch with a grain of salt. But, in general, these suggestions will be good for most situations.

Fruit and Vegetable Gardens

Fruit and vegetable gardens have the clearest front runner for which mulch variety to use. Because you will eat anything you grow in these gardens, it’s good to use organic mulch that feeds the soil.

In this case, organic mulch takes on two meanings. First, you will not want to use any mulch treated with pesticides or painted. As it breaks down, it will go into your food and eventually your body.

You may also want to consider a mulch variety that dispels veggie-eating pests. Cedar is excellent for this because its smell is undesirable for many critters. But sometimes, texture alone is enough to repel unwanted visitors.

Around Trees and Flower Gardens

For decorative plants, there are many factors to consider when deciding which mulch variety to use. Obviously, you will want to pick something that complements the looks of your plants. That may include painted organic mulches, rock mulch, or manufactured glass or plastic mulches.

Another question is how often you might want to switch out the plants and the mulch surrounding them.

Playgrounds & Other Non-Growing Locations

Finally, some places don’t need to grow anything! In these situations, you’ll need to consider how the mulched location will be used. For example, playgrounds frequently use rubber mulch because it’s easy on little feet.

Inorganic mulches are perfect for locations where growth is not the primary concern because they look great and need infrequent replacement.

So what mulch do you need? Not sure? Perfection can help!