How to Buy Mulch

Mulch is a blanket for your soil, holding water in, keeping weeds at bay and making the garden easier to care for. There's a wide variety of mulching material available; here's how to weed through the choices.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Choose an organic mulch, including wood chips, compost, hazelnut shells, cocoa hulls and pine needles, for your planting beds. What you choose is a matter of taste.

2. Figure out how much coverage you need. For example, to cover an area to a depth of 3 inches, multiply that by the area's width and length in feet; then divide this number by 27 to convert the measurement to cubic yards (how mulch is sold). 1 cubic yard will cover a 324-square-foot area with 1 inch of mulch.

3. Layer organic mulches (compost) to a depth of 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) around flowers, vegetables and shrubs; coarser mulches (shredded bark) can be applied 3 inches (7.5 cm) deep. Apply inorganic mulch such as stones of various sizes as a ground cover or for areas under trees where soil improvement isn't a consideration. Apply in layers of 1 to 3 inches (2.5 to 7.5 cm).

4. Save money by buying material in bulk. Bagged mulch costs $2 per cubic foot, while bulk material can be $12 per cubic yard.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep mulch 6 inches (15 cm) away from the trunks of shrubs and trees for plant health. This prevents excessive moisture from damaging the plants.
• Various types of plastic sheeting are available as mulch for vegetable gardens and other spaces where looks aren't much of a consideration. They can also be used under stone or bark mulch to control weeds.

[landscaperpro]

on 5/23/2007 To find a local supplier of quality bulk mulch try calling 1.800.TOPSOIL. They are all over the country and have the best pricing.

on 4/3/2006 Cocoa Hull mulch is all the rage these days, but don't use it if you have dogs. They are attracted to it and if ingested, it can kill them or cause very serious health problems.