which mulch to use?
Gardening Reference » Gardening in 2006
by wconan on October 02, 2006 12:22 PM
I'm planning to plant couple of tulip in my garden, and can't decide which mulch is best for tulips. Also I have couple of roses in my garden and which mulch is best for roses?
by alankhart on October 03, 2006 12:07 AM
For the most part it's a matter of preference..whatever type mulch you like the best. Hardwood mulches usually last longer than softwood mulches, but one isn't really better than the other. You just want to make sure you use aged mulch and not fresh wood chips...fresh ones will use up nitrogen. Cocoa hulls look really nice under roses, but they can be dangerous to pets. I have decided next year I am going to use pine straw because I like the look of it more than the others.
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by joclyn on October 03, 2006 12:27 AM
alan is correct, it IS a matter of preference.
when i bought my house and started working on the flowerbeds i took a good look at everything that is available...in the stores as well as the free mulch that's available from my township.
would have loved to use the free stuff - and i did, one year. you can't be sure what's in it though and i didn't want to bring in weeds or things like poison ivy, so i haven't gotten that stuff again.
from the stores, i opted for licorice root mulch. it looks really nice, doesn't wash away like some of the others and it keeps it's color pretty well and for a bit longer, too.
it's not any more or less expensive than anything else either.
i like the way it breaks down too...takes a couple of years - and i do turn it over into the soil every spring (to speed the breakdown). after using this for 7 years now, my soil is in very nice condition.
when you put the mulch around the roses, don't put it up against the base of the bush...leave a bit of space so that the mulch isn't actually touching the plant...actually that applies to any plant...as your bulbs grow up through it, move it away. when the mulch touches the plants, it can make problems occur. you only need to leave a small clear space - 1/2 an inch is about all.
when i bought my house and started working on the flowerbeds i took a good look at everything that is available...in the stores as well as the free mulch that's available from my township.
would have loved to use the free stuff - and i did, one year. you can't be sure what's in it though and i didn't want to bring in weeds or things like poison ivy, so i haven't gotten that stuff again.
from the stores, i opted for licorice root mulch. it looks really nice, doesn't wash away like some of the others and it keeps it's color pretty well and for a bit longer, too.
it's not any more or less expensive than anything else either.
i like the way it breaks down too...takes a couple of years - and i do turn it over into the soil every spring (to speed the breakdown). after using this for 7 years now, my soil is in very nice condition.
when you put the mulch around the roses, don't put it up against the base of the bush...leave a bit of space so that the mulch isn't actually touching the plant...actually that applies to any plant...as your bulbs grow up through it, move it away. when the mulch touches the plants, it can make problems occur. you only need to leave a small clear space - 1/2 an inch is about all.
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