Landscape Supplies: Choosing the Right Mulch for Your Garden

At Valley Carriers, we know that choosing the right mulch for your garden can make a whole world of difference. That is why we offer a wide range of landscape supplies, including mulch supplies, making it easy to find the perfect supplies for you and your garden’s needs.

When to Use Mulch

The best time of year to add mulch to any garden is between mid-spring and late spring when the soil is moist and beginning to warm up. Before adding mulch to the garden, make sure to clear away all the weeds and to water the soil. Add the mulch to the entire surface area of the garden beds and border, rather than just around the individual plants, in order to get the best results.

Organic Mulches

Organic mulches will decompose, improving the soil structure and adding healthy nutrients for your plants. Some of the different types of organic mulches include:

• Garden Compost—this type of organic mulch can help prevent weeds from growing by excluding light and slowly breaking down nutrients.
• Leafmold—this organic mulch is ideal for woodland gardens or shrub borders.
• Farmyard Manure—this is a useful source of nutrients and is particularly good for mulching roses and shrubs.
• Composted Bark—the most nutritious of the bark and wood mulches. This type of organic mulch is particularly great for trees and shrubs.
• Chipped Bark—this type of organic mulch is low in nutrients, discourages weed germination, is heavy and dense, and offers the ability to deplete the soil of nitrogen first.
• Wood Chips—since wood chips are slow to decompose, they are ideal for use at paths or at the back of shrub borders.
• Mushroom Compost—this type of organic mulch offers some nutrients and is slow to decay.

Inorganic Mulches

Inorganic mulches are manmade products that are designed to discourage mosses and prevent soil from splashing into flowers and leaves. This type of mulch is particularly good for plants whose stems and leaves should be kept dry, as it provides ideal surface drainage. Some of the different types of inorganic mulches include:

• Gravel—this type of inorganic mulch is ideal for drought-tolerant plants or around rock and alpine plants.
• Cobbles and Pebbles—attractive in most settings, this time of inorganic mulch is especially ideal for use around water features.
• Geotextile Membranes—this inorganic mulch can help retain moisture and suppress weeds around newly planted trees and shrubs.

If you would like to learn more about landscape supplies or choosing the right mulch for your garden, or if you are interested in one of our products or services (log hauling, trucking services, and wood recycling), please contact Valley Carriers at 604-853-1075.