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Landscaping Tips for Home Owners and Garden Lovers

 
 
 


 
Mulching and Landscaping

Are you planning on landscaping with mulch? A neatly arranged bed of mulch does a grand job of improving the appearance of your property.

But besides its aesthetic value, it also has other benefits. Mulch serves as a protective mechanism for the root systems of the plants and at the same time  provide nutrients that make the soil richer. It also prevents soil erosion and weeds.

Landscape plants do much better in summer if they are mulched. Mulches conserve moisture and cool the root zone.

Here are some tips that will help you with your project.

Types of mulches

There are two kinds of mulches, organic and inorganic ones. Organic mulches are created from natural substances and help enhance the soil via decomposition.

landscaping tool saves lawn clippings with lawnmower attachmentLawn clippings can be used when the mowing season begins. This type of mulch should be dried thoroughly before being used since it has a tendency to mat when spread thick if it is not dry. Grass is nitrogen rich and is ideal when used as a vegetable mulch. Don't use clippings that have been sprayed with herbicide. A grass clipping catcher attachment is quite handy.


Hardwood and pine bark
mulches are quite popular.

Some types of fungus seem to prefer hardwood mulches, but this usually only occurs after prolonged wet spells, and other than being unsightly for a short time, is usually harmless.

When used properly, hardwood mulches don't deplete the soil of nitrogen, which could happen if the mulch is mixed with the soil and decays under the surface. A 1 inch top dressing of shredded hardwood mulch will almost completely break down.

Keep them away from the very base of plants or they could cause rot, especially on smaller plants, which is why mulches work best around trees and shrubs.

   
 

Pine bark mulch should only be used around plants that prefer an acid soil. Long term use can acidify the soil to a point where plants won't do well. Your nursery person can guide you here.

Mulches should be heavy enough to not float or blow away. Chunks of bark, however, allow too many weeds and encourage many pests, so they don't really make the best mulch.

Mushroom soil is a great conditioner and mulch. Compared with hardwood mulch, it is not as readily consumed by earthworms and fungi, so it lasts a lot longer

Sawdust is also easily obtained in most areas. It is a good idea to let it decompose after mixing it with a small amount of soil to prevent it from getting blown away when dry or matting when wet. Nitrogen in the soil may be lessened if fresh sawdust is introduced into the soil but if the sawdust is just on the upper portion of the soil, this will not be a problem.

Straw is what is left of the stem of grains that have been harvested. Because of its light weight, you may have some trouble applying it. It needs to be replaced more often since it decomposes quickly. It is a good choice for areas that have been newly seeded.

composting with grass clippings and kitchen scrapsCompost created from Grass Clippings break down quickly and contain as much nitrogen as manure. (Avoid grass clippings that contain pesticide or herbicide residue)

Kitchen scraps
like melon rinds, carrot peelings, tea bags, apple cores, banana peels work well.  You can successfully compost all forms of kitchen waste. However, meat, meat products, dairy products, and high-fat foods like salad dressings and peanut butter are very slow, but will eventually decompose. 

   
   

An inorganic mulch like Plastic sheets, makes the soil warm and prevents air and water from penetrating or getting out of it and it does not decompose The plant's growth is accelerated by the additional heat and moisture. Due to its solid characteristics, plastic mulches need an irrigation system.

These are some of the mulches that you can use for landscaping. Plan carefully and decide which kind of mulch to use based on the appearance and needs of your landscaping project. Go ahead and make your dream lawn a reality!

RESOURCES:

Backyard Composter Just the thing to produce nutrient-rich compost for your flowers and vegetables.

Sprinkle in some bio-activator to immediately unleash nature's powerful enzyme reactions for fast decomposition, richer, more fertile compost.

   

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Basic Landscaping Tips

Simple Ideas

Landscape your Home

Landscape your Yards

Perfect Landscape Design

Selecting Plants
     Native Plants
     Pest Resistant

Best Landscaping Rocks

Patio Landscaping

Large Gardens
     Rose Gardens

Small Gardens
     Flower beds and
     Herb gardens

Garden Pest Control
     Things to Use to fight plant enemies

Lawn Care

Mulching

Birds and Wildlife

Selecting a Landscaping Contractor

Common Problems

     
                                                      
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