How To: Pick the Right Summer Mulch

There are two primary times to mulch, the summer and the winter. It is important to remove the mulch between seasons to allow the soil to regulate to a normal temperature.

4-Foot Artificial Cedar Tree

Functions of Mulch

Winter mulch is laid in order to keep the soil temperatures warm. Products such as pine needles and shredded leaves make great insulation against dropping outdoor temperatures. As an added bonus, they are readily available if you take the time to bag them up in the fall.

Summer mulch serves a much different purpose. As the outdoor temperatures are heating up, the mulch helps to keep the soil temperatures nice and cool. It also suppresses weed growth and keeps the water in the soil from evaporating.

Mulching Essentials

The most important thing is to make sure that you remove your mulch twice a year. Let the stems and trunks of plants dry out before you lay your new mulch. If you don’t get rain, a couple days should suffice. You also want to ensure that whatever mulch you are laying does not show any signs of disease, critters, or weeds.

Flower Beds

If you want your spring and summer flowers to thrive, replace your winter mulch with a summer one. Fine mulches such as bark granules and wood shavings make ideal mulch for flowerbeds. Cocoa shells are also attractive summer mulch.  Do not use cocoa shells if you have pets, as this mulch can be toxic if ingested by dogs.

Shrubs & Trees

When you are mulching around larger items, such as shrubs and trees, you can choose larger mulch. Surround the tree trunks with wood chips, large chunks of bark, or pine needles.

Tip

You can unify your real and artificial plants by using the same mulch on both