How to Landscape With Healthy Non-Poisonous Mulch

Landscape mulch adds a visually pleasing even layer of material over bare soil.

Mulch in the landscape creates a visually pleasing layer under trees, around shrubs and in planting beds. Many color-enhanced mulches are toxic to the soil as well as to people and animals. When selecting non-poisonous plant-based mulch for the landscape, select natural untreated materials. Varieties of landscape mulch include shredded and chipped hardwoods, sawdust, pine needles, crushed leaves, coconut husks, compost, seasoned manure and peat mosses. Other non-organic non-poisonous mulches like pebbles and stones are a good choice for pathways, patios and rock gardens.

Things You'll Need

• Rake
• Shovel
• Black plastic
• Wheelbarrow

Instructions

1. Clear the area to be mulched of all weeds and weed roots. Mulch can suppress weed seeds from germinating but cannot stop established weeds from growing. Rake the area smooth with a metal rake.

2. Spread a 3- to 4-inch thick layer of non-toxic organic mulch material around landscape trees and in shrub beds. Hold the mulch layer back from the base of the trunks at least 2 inches. Spread an even layer over the entire area of a shrub bed. Mulch landscape trees in a circle that extends out to the area under the tips of the branches. Use a wheelbarrow to transport mulch from the pile to the mulching site.

3. Rake the non-toxic mulch layer smooth after spreading it around.

4. Spread a 2- to 3-inch thick mulch later of leaf mold or pine needles in rhododendron and azalea beds. These acid-loving plants will benefit from the acid found in these mulch materials. Keep the mulch back about 2 inches from the base of the stems.

5. Lay black plastic down on pathways and patios where no plants are growing. Spread a 2- to 4-inch layer of non-toxic pea gravel over the area and rake it smooth. Use dark rocks to absorb warmth to an area or light-colored rocks to reflect warmth.

6. Spread a 2-inch layer of organic well-rotted compost over the soil in a vegetable garden bed. This non-toxic mulch will improve the nutrients in the soil, making for a healthy vegetable garden.

7. Spread a 2-inch layer of leaf mold, compost or seasoned manure over perennial flower and bulb beds in the fall to insulate the soil during the winter.

Tips & Warnings

• Apply mulch in the spring after the soil has thawed. Wait until the soil has thawed or the mulch layer will keep the ground cold too far into the growing season. Apply mulch in the fall once the soil has cooled around the time of the first frost to prevent keeping the soil unseasonably warm when plants are going dormant for the winter. In frost-free climates, mulch any time of year. Summer mulching is also suitable in all climates.

• Mulch is more than just a visual barrier, it also regulates soil temperature, helps retain soil moisture retention and is a non-toxic way to control weeds.

• Home and garden centers sell mulch in bags, which is ideal for small projects. For large projects, purchase mulch by the yard and have it delivered.

• Cocoa Mulch is poisonous for dogs, so if you have pets, avoid using this mulch material.

References

• Virginia Tech University Cooperative Extension: Mulching for a Healthy Landscape
• Natural Landscapes Project: Compost and Soil
• Dog Health: Coco Mulch is Toxic to Dogs
• Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet: Mulching Landscape Plants