Mulch 101

Class Is in Session: Mulch 101

Keeping your garden beautiful and thriving throughout the spring and summer is hard work. But seasoned gardeners know that a lush garden complete with your favorite plants is well worth it. At Moon Valley Nurseries, we're committed to helping our customers cultivate lasting landscapes. We specialize in heat-resistant plants for homeowners in California, Arizona, Nevada, Texas, and Florida, but we offer more traditional gardening advice as well. Our team is knowledgeable about fertilizer, landscape design services, and of course, mulch. Learn more about using mulch to its fullest advantages in your Southwestern garden.

How Does Mulch Work?

Mulch is a material that serves as a covering for exposed soil. It's made of various organic materials, such as wood chippings, leaves, straw, and grass, that decompose and offer nutritional benefits to the soil. Keep in mind that not all mulch is bio-degradable, and you'll need to check the packaging of each product, so you know exactly what you're getting.

Why Is It Important?

Of course, adding nutrients to the soil is beneficial for any garden. But mulch comes with numerous benefits beyond just the nutritional content. We recommend using mulch for many reasons, including to keep your garden lush and gorgeous all season long. Here are some specific benefits of using a generous helping of mulch:

• Targets Moisture: Mulch does a great job of keeping moisture in the soil. Our customers in the American Southwest know that rain comes at a premium (or not at all), and it's not very environmentally friendly to constantly water your plants. Laying plenty of mulch helps to keep what water you do use in the proper place.
• Maintains a Constant Temperature: The summer heat in Arizona, Nevada, and Texas is no joke. Mulch provides a layer of insulation against sweltering temperatures. This material ensures that your soil doesn't get too hot and create an inhospitable environment for your favorite blooms.
• Reduces Weed Growth: Covering exposed soil with mulch suffocates potential weeds! When weeds have little to no access to sunlight, they won't spring up and ruin the pristine look of your garden. While you might deal with a weed or two every once in a while, you'll significantly cut back on the time you spend weeding the garden.
• Aesthetically Pleasing: Mulch helps create a classic garden look. While we might not think of mulch itself as being particularly beautiful, it does enhance the color of your landscape and eliminate weeds and other eyesores.

Use Mulch Like a Pro

Laying mulch may seem like a no-brainer, but in truth, there are many common mistakes people make. In the best cases, these errors make mulch useless, and in the worst cases, mistakes hinder your plants' ability to grow and thrive. But not to worry, Moon Valley Nurseries has plenty of tips for using mulch like a pro! Find out how to make the most of your mulch:

Lay Mulch About Three Inches Deep

As a general rule, layers of mulch should only be about two to three inches deep. But more is better, right? Not in this case! Thickly applied mulch can cause a slew of problems for your garden. Wood-based mulch can retain too much water and rot quicker than usual. When this happens, it hogs the water and keeps it from moistening the soil beneath. In this way, the material that usually keeps your plants moist and happy actually causes them to dry out. Always go for thinner layers when in doubt!

Give Trees Some Breathing Room

First-time gardeners are often tempted to pack mulch around the bases of their trees. While it might seem like a good idea at the time, mulch placed in direct contact with stems or trunks can actually apply too much moisture. This causes overly-wet soil and opens your plants up to rotting, plant diseases, and pest infestations. Always give your trees and shrubs some room to breathe.

Start Off With Lots of Water

Right after placing your (thin) layers of mulch, make sure the material is thoroughly watered. Mulch is often stored at high temperatures that attract microorganisms. When you make an effort to cool your mulch right away, those organisms die off. If you skip this step, you might end up with mulch chock-full of fungi and water-repellent material.

Don't Remove Mulch

Once you've laid mulch in your garden, it's important to see the process through. Never remove a layer of mulch after you've already watered it. Taking away this mulch can dry out the soil and cause more harm than good to the underlying roots.

Use Lighter Mulch Wisely

If you plan to dig in the area, you're placing mulch, no worries! But before you lay your first layer, make sure you have a mulch that is compatible with digging. We recommend a lighter mulch, such as straw and grass clippings, because you'll have a much easier time working these materials into the soil. While using a wood or bark mulch has its benefits, this material isn't the best choice for vegetable gardens and other areas that require replanting.

Don't Lay Mulch Around Your Home

The rule about keeping mulch away from trees and shrubs also applies to your home. Piling wood and mulch directly beside your home can cause damage due to excess moisture. But beyond water damage, wood mulch can also serve as a jumping-off point for termites to infest your home. We suggest keeping mulch at least 20 feet from your home's siding.

Start Your Plants Off on the Right Foot

Placing mulch is an excellent way to start your plants off on the right foot! But if you need a little more help getting your garden going, don't hesitate to visit our plant and tree nursery. We feature plenty of products that will help you cultivate a beautiful Southwestern garden. Choose from our own line of fertilizers and range of specialty services to make gardening season a breeze. While you're here, be sure to browse our wide selection of trees and shrubs. Here's just a sample of what you'll find at our locations:

• Palm trees
• Fast growers
• Evergreen trees
• Flowering trees
• Citrus and fruit trees
• Desert trees
• Specimen trees
• Shrubs
• Cacti and agave
• Vines
• Ground covers
• Hedges

Get in Touch With Moon Valley Nurseries

We want to hear from you! If you have any questions about gardening in the U.S. Southwest or how to use mulch to the fullest, don't hesitate to reach out. Our knowledgeable team offers professional planting services, as well as landscape design, and or expertise is sure to get your garden started off right. Whether you're looking for a new addition to your landscape or you're stocking up on fertilizer, Moon Valley Nurseries is here for you. Contact us today for details on our services.