Hemlock vs. Cedar Mulch
Mulch is the gardener’s friend. It helps control weeds, retains moisture in the soil and improves the look of your yard. While many organic and inorganic choices are available for mulching, many people opt for a wood mulch, and among the most popular are cedar and hemlock. Each has its benefits, along with a few drawbacks, but ultimately the choice will come down to individual taste. Does this Spark an idea?
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Price
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Cedar is widely available, at almost any store or wholesaler selling mulch, and is usually a mid-priced product, affordable for all but the most extensive uses. Hemlock is sometimes described as the “Mercedes-Benz” of mulches, and is priced accordingly. It’s often the most expensive bark or wood mulch at any given outlet. Occasionally you will see it mixed with pine as a way to bring the price down.
Color
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The look of a mulch is to some gardeners one of its most important features. Hemlock has a distinctive and attractive color--this is occasionally cited as a reason why it is so expensive. The color can range from a rich red to a dark brown, depending on whether it has been composted. Hemlock tends to retain its color, unlike dyed red mulches that fade after a year or so. Cedar is more brown in tone, from a golden tone to a dark brown. It can age to a silvery-gray.
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Characteristics
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Hemlock is a bark mulch, and its texture can contain nuggets, along with more fibrous material. Cedar comes as either a bark mulch or as a whole-wood product. The latter has a distinctly more fibrous texture and knits together well to provide excellent coverage and weed control. Both have their own pleasant and distinctive aromas.
Benefits
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Hemlock is reputedly a “sliver-free” mulch, making it easy to spread, and safe around children. The main benefit often cited for cedar is its ability to deter insects, which dislike the strong aroma. This can help keep pests away from your plants, and also makes it a good choice to spread near house foundations, where insects are doubly undesirable.
Lifespan
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Both of these mulches are slow to decompose, compared to other, cheaper wood mulches, and in the long run, even expensive hemlock may be cost-effective. After spreading an initial layer of about 3 inches in the first year, you'll probably only need a light layer to freshen up the look of your yard the next year, with a slightly larger application the year after that. Hemlock is known to contain a high level of nitrogen, an essential plant nutrient, so it’s particularly good for feeding your soil as it decomposes.
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References
- Photo Credit garden rock border image by Jim Mills from Fotolia.com
