HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2009-05-07, Page 21Few and far between are the
homeowners who have the time to
cultivate a green thumb. Be it
obligations at the office, full
schedules with the family or, most
likely, a little bit of both, many
times homeowners are
understandably quick to trust their
landscaping to a local professional.
But in the harsh economy of the
day, it can’t hurt for homeowners to
have a little landscape knowledge of
their own. In that case, should the
purse strings need to be tightened a
little bit, homeowners won’t watch
their lawns wither under the harsh
summer heat.
One of the best tricks of the
landscaping trade is to utilize mulch
around plants, trees and shrubs.
Both aesthetically appealing and
beneficial to soil, mulch helps to
reduce weeds, conserve soil
moisture and keep soil strong
throughout the often trying
temperatures of summer.
For homeowners hoping to get the
most out of their mulch this season,
the following factors should be
considered before beginning a
mulching project.
* Appearance. Many homeowners
want to make their lawn as
aesthetically appealing as possible.
A good looking lawn can increase
property value and instill a sense of
pride for all who live at a home.
Mulch comes in a variety of
appearances. Colour and tidiness
are two sticking points for many
homeowners. Typically, no one
wants the mulch to be the talk of
guests and neighbors, instead the
plants, trees and shrubs the mulch
surrounds should garner the bulk of
the attention.
Dark-coloured mulches tend to
instill a relaxing feel to gardens,
while brighter colored mulches
might work better in vegetable
gardens.
Don’t be afraid to seek advice
from the sales representatives where
you’re buying your mulch as to
which mulch goes best with each
area. Mulch does not have to be
uniform throughout the property to
provide maximum aesthetic appeal.
* Benefits to the soil. Arguably
the biggest advantage to using
mulch is its positive impact on soil.
However, according to the Union of
Concerned Scientists, a nonprofit
group dedicated to working for a
healthy environment, different
mulches serve the soil in different
ways. While all organic mulches
fertilize the soil as they decay, they
do so at different speeds.
If improving the soil is a priority
when mulching, rapidly decaying or
nitrogen rich mulch is most
beneficial. Rapidly decaying
mulches include shredded leaves
and grass clippings and are
typically recommended for annuals.
Slowly decaying mulches, such as
bark or straw, are generally
considered most beneficial to trees
and shrubs.
* Application. For some
homeowners, finding the time to get
outside and lay mulch can prove
very difficult. In such cases, easy
application is probably paramount.
At this point, it’s probably best to
consult a professional as to which
mulch is not only the easiest to
apply, but also the easiest to
maintain, as anyone who doesn’t
have much time to mulch probably
doesn’t have much time to maintain
it either.
* Protection. How well mulch
insulates is also an important factor
to consider. For example, during the
summer months mulch should work
to keep heat out, while it should do
the exact opposite in the winter.
Once the weather has taken a turn
for the warmer in the spring,
consider mulching a summer
garden with hay, wood shavings or
even compost.
These mulches will insulate the
garden from summer heat. In the
winter time, pine needles or straw
are effective at trapping heat once
the ground has frozen. Other
mulches, including bark and stone,
are essentially the multi-taskers of
mulch, working to insulate in both
summer and winter.
THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2009. PAGE 21.
Double purpose
Mulching around plants, trees and shrubs is a practice that
pays both cosmetic and practical dividends. (MS photo)
Mulching serves cosmetics and practicality
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