May Garden Maintenence - The Magic of Mulch

It is a perfect time to trim back all of your trees and shrubs since the danger of a freeze has passed.  I just got done trimming back my Gardenia bushes as it has just finished blooming, I don't have to worry that I am trimming away next years blossoms.  With almost a year round growing season our plants grow at a faster rate than up north.

I am lucky enough to have enough land that I can have a large compost pile. It provides me with a place to discard my yard waste without having to tie and bag it up for the garbage man. In addition, it provides my garden with a wonderful additive, compost, which I will discuss in detail in another posting. 

Once I trim my landscape back it's time to add mulch. There are a variety of choices of mulch these days. Although I prefer Grade A Cypress mulch. I normally put 3-4 inches of Grade B Cypress mulch down first and then top this with the Grade A. In the past few years the price of Grade A Cypress mulch has doubled and it would cost a fortune to mulch all my beds.

The other reason I prefer Grade A Cypress mulch is it doesn't float away. I have many beds that are next to my driveway. When there are torrential rains the Grade B Cypress just floats down the driveway. The Grade A Cypress doesn't  do this and I still use 100 percent Grade A Cypress in those areas next to cement.

Grade A Cypress mulch is made from the bark of the cypress tree. The mulch bags are very light and the mulch is much finer than Grade B. The Grade B Cypress mulch is made from the entire tree. The bags are heavy and the mulch is not as fine as the Grade A. 

I don't recommend the rubber mulch or using rock for mulch as this gives nothing back to the plants with regards to nutrients from decomposition, as all mulch decomposes and when doing so, adds nutrients back to your soil.

I also stay away from red mulch as it is made from wooden pallets, sprayed red and many times has rusty nails. When you walk on red mulch and then walk on your carpet you will many times transfer that red dye to your carpet.

I adore the look of a lot of the darker mulch that is dyed today, but I stay away from it for two reasons. As discussed previously I don't want to transfer the dye to my carpet. It also get extremely hot here in the summer and I don't recommend anything that will add more "heat" to your beds. Think of how you feel when you wear black in the summer in Florida. It's almost like your a solar panel! The same thing applies to the very dark mulches, you will be heating up your beds and the probability of damaging the roots of your plants are high.

If money is tight you can also check with your local county extension office. Many offer free mulch at one of their sites. The downside is you don't know what type of mulch you are getting and it's a real job getting it home as it isn't bagged.

After you have mulched your beds I recommend scattering a "pre emergence" in your landscape beds. I use Preen as pictured. It helps stop the germination of seeds from any weeds you have pulled. 

If you follow these steps your garden will require a lot less maintenance in the hot summer months.