Using Mulch in Your Garden

This is probably a good time to talk about using mulch in your garden. First, it may be a good time, because by late August, your probably getting sick of pulling weeds about now. Secondly, if you already had mulch, Tropical Storm Fay probably just washed it all away and you're thinking about replacing it.

Mulch serves several very important functions and is almost always a good idea.

1. It slows down weeds! Nothing stops them in Florida, but you need to use every weapon at your disposal to give yourself an edge.
2. It helps retain moisture. O.K. that's not an issue right now, but in a few months it will be.
3. It helps regulate soil temperature.
   
4. It helps prevent disease. Mulch stops soil from splashing up on the lower leaves of a plant, which helps stop the spread of some fungus diseases.
5. Mulch beautifies the garden, giving it a neater, more finished look.

There are many choices when deciding on a mulch. There are organic mulches, like wood chips and pine needles, etc. and there are inorganic mulches like rocks. In general, organic mulches are better for the soil and are less expensive (at least in the short run). As they decompose, they enrich and become part of the soil. Inorganic mulches are more expensive on the front end, but more permanent. Individual taste will determine which looks better.

If you decide on an organic mulch, most people in South Florida use shredded wood mulch. The two most common are cypress mulch and dyed, recycled wood. The cypress has a beautiful, natural look and smell and will usually last about 6 months, although the color will fade to kind of a gray color after 2 or 3 months. The recycled mulch is made from used lumber and plywood, etc. and is usually dyed red, but sometimes can be gotten in gold, black or some other color. It doesn't look as natural. Some people like the look better than cypress, some don't. Again, its personal choice. It does retain its color much longer than cypress and lasts a little longer. Plus it has the benefit that it doesn't use up cypress trees, a disappearing resource. When red mulch is fresh, some of the dye does come off easily so plan on having red hands after you spread it (and a funny smell) and if it comes in contact with concrete driveways and sidewalks it will leave a stain that is sometimes hard to get off. Other common organic mulches are:

• Pine Bark Nuggets- they are beautiful but are very prone to floating away and seem to harbor carpenter ants.
• Wood chips - from tree trimmings. The biggest benefit-they are often available free. On the minus side, they decompose very fast and sometimes contain unwanted seeds.
• Pine Needles - Often called "pine straw". They decompose fast but give a beautiful natural look. They are especially useful in areas that already have pine trees. You can buy a few bales to mulch the beds initially and then rake the falling needles in to the beds regularly to replenish.

There are countless other possibilities from lawn clippings to peat moss, but these are the most common and practical for use in South Florida landscapes. Just a few more tips for using organic mulches:

• If buying cypress or recycled wood, look for wood that is shredded rather than chips. In other words look for long, fibrous looking pieces. They will interlock and form a solid mat after a few days that will be less likely to float away in rainy weather.
• Make mulch a minimum of 1 inch deep. 2 inches is better.
• Usually with organic mulch, it is better not to use any kind of weed mat underneath. The mulch seems to stay put better when it is in direct contact with the ground. Also, as the mulch decomposes it will form a layer of soil on top of the weed mat. That will allow weeds to start above the mat and then put roots down through it, making them that much harder to pull.

In the next post, I'll talk more about inorganic mulches.