Adding a layer of organic mulch is probably the best thing you can do for the health of your plants and soil and applying now will continue to benefit plants and soils all year round and in all weathers.
It is best to remove all weeds and fallen leaves, which may harbour pests and diseases before applying a layer of mulch. Mulch is best applied in the autumn or spring when there is still some residual warmth in the soil. Mulch is best applied on moist soils after planting and watering to a depth of 5cm and can be applied in beds, borders and containers.
As far as most of your customers see it mulch provides a clean decorative finish to a bed and accentuates the plants. However you can always promote the other benefits of applying mulch to your clients.
Mulch is magic! It helps to supress weeds, helps soils retain moisture, improves the texture of the soil as it breaks down and helps protect plant roots from extreme cold and heat. Mulch can be applied to any planting whether newly planted, on existing beds, specimen trees and also on containers. It is best practice to apply mulch to a depth of 5cm and keep mulch away from the stems of shrubs and trees.
The hot summer we had this year is a prime example of how mulch helps plants to deal with heat stress as a layer of mulch is one of the most efficient ways to conserve water and reduce soil temperature around the roots of plants helping to combat heat stress. The same layer of mulch will protect roots from extreme cold weather in the winter.
We have a range of organic mulch in stock all year round including:
- Composted Bark has a fine grade of 0-8mm and increases organic matter in the soil.
- Pine Bark Mini Mulch is graded to 2-25mm in size with small, neat chips that are perfect for finishing a bed and also for use on containers
- Mini Bark is graded to 8-20mm size chips and is perfect for use on smaller beds and containers
- Border Bark is usually used as decorative mulch graded to 8-25mm in size this will take longer to break down than composted bark. This is by far our most popular bark mulch
- Play Bark is graded to 20-30mm in size and is used purely for decorative purposes providing a long lasting superior finish for play areas
- Chunky Chip Bark is graded to chip size 30-80mm and very long lasting. This larger sized bark mulch can be used for pathways too
- Ornamental Bark Nuggets is graded to a size of 50-60mm and are small nuggets in size. Adding these will provide a decorative layer and will not degrade for a few years
- Farmyard Manure is a traditional mulch and applied now will work into the soil over the winter months improving soil structure and adding organic matter
- Strulch Mulch is made from straw that lasts up to 2 years and is light and easy to use. It has a neutral pH
Can’t say it enough -MULCH IS MAGIC - mulch, mulch, mulch!
