Mulch Harrisburg PA prevents weeds from growing, helps trees and shrubs retain moisture, and protects them from mower damage and other stresses.
Organic mulches such as wood chips, leaves, and shredded bark decompose and add nutrients to the soil. They require frequent replenishment.
Grass clippings are an excellent source of natural mulch. They can help retain moisture in garden beds, suppress weeds, and improve soil health. They are also a cost-effective way to reduce lawn disposal fees and keep yard waste out of strained landfills.
Mulching with grass clippings is easy and convenient. However, they may not be the best choice for vegetable gardens because they may carry weed seeds or chemical residue from treated lawns.
When using grass clippings as garden mulch, collecting them before the weeds can go to seed is important. This can be done with a bag attachment on your mower or by spreading the clippings and waiting for them to dry before applying them to the garden. This will prevent the spread of weeds and also allows you to use the clippings as a natural fertilizer in the garden once they decompose.
Dried grass clippings also make a great alternative to expensive commercial mulch products. They are easy to find, affordable and offer the same benefits of conventional product. The only drawback to using grass clippings is that they can rot or form a slimy mat if applied to wet soil. To avoid this, spread them out evenly and only apply a light layer.
During the summer, using grass clippings as mulch can help moderate soil temperature and maintain adequate moisture levels in garden beds. Additionally, the clippings can provide up to 25 percent of the nitrogen a lawn requires for healthy growth. Keeping the grass in the garden also helps to reduce thatch, a buildup of undecomposed stems, crowns and runners that accumulate between the soil surface and actively growing turfgrass.
However, if the lawn has been treated with a herbicide, it is best to wait to use the clippings in a vegetable garden until the grass has completely regenerated from the herbicide application. Otherwise, the herbicide residue can carry over to vegetables and damage or kill them. The best option is to wait three to four weeks before mulching with grass clippings in the vegetable garden.
Wood Chips
Wood chips are a specific type of mulch made from chipped or shredded wood. They are an excellent option for garden beds because they suppress weeds, conserve soil moisture, and help moderate the soil temperature by reflecting the sun’s heat instead of absorbing it. They also add a natural element to the landscape and can be used for walkways or to cover muddy spots in outdoor seating areas.
However, before you purchase wood mulch from a nursery or home improvement store, check the quality of the wood. Some wood chips may be treated with chemicals that can negatively impact your garden and could harm the soil if the mulch is not removed regularly. You should choose organic wood mulch if possible to avoid these issues.
You can also make your own mulch from woody debris, such as tree limbs and branches. This is a good way to reduce yard waste that would otherwise end up in landfills, and it can be more eco-friendly than purchasing mulch from a store. Some communities have programs where you can get free yard waste chipping services, and local tree-care firms with chipping equipment are another source of wood chips.
If you use wood chips as mulch, it is best to use the older, dry chips that will last longer and not blow away as easily as the greener, sappy pieces. The wood chips should also be unprocessed, undyed and sourced from sustainable trees.
Although wood chips are not ideal for vegetable gardens because they can temporarily reduce the soil nitrogen levels as they decompose, they do work well for ornamental flower beds. Mulching with wood chips can also prevent soil erosion, but it is important to be aware of the limitations of this method and to replace the wood mulch regularly.
One interesting use of wood chips is as a substrate for growing mushrooms. Mushrooms are rich in nutrients and help cleanse the soil, so this is a useful way to utilize wood chips and create a productive and tasty crop at home.
Leaves
Whether they’re raked up from a garden or collected from curbside bins, a layer of leaves makes an economical and environmentally friendly mulch. When used properly, leaves suppress weeds, reduce soil erosion, and moderate soil temperature changes. They also enrich the soil with organic matter as they decompose, improving its quality and helping it to hold moisture more effectively.
The most important consideration when using leaf mulch is to shred the leaves before spreading them on the garden. This allows them to break down more easily and gives the finished mulch a much more uniform appearance. A lawn mower with a bagging attachment or a hand-held chopper is ideal for this task, but even a regular rake can work just as well. Ideally, the shredded leaves should then be stored in a separate pile or bin from whole leaves for the winter so that they can continue to decompose into humus-rich leaf mold.
Using a leaf mulch that hasn’t been shredded can result in a thick, heavy mat on the ground that can be difficult to work with. It can also harbor weed seeds and create rodent habitats, especially in very thick layers. Whole leaves also tend to clump and suffocate young plants when placed too densely over the soil.
In the spring, leaf mulch can be worked into the garden soil to help with weed control, moisture retention and soil improvement. When topped with compost or other types of organic material, it can be used as a planting medium for vegetable gardens and flower beds.
To increase the amount of nitrogen in a leaf mulch, sprinkle a handful of urea or ammonium nitrate over the top of it about once per month. This will replace the natural nitrogen that is lost as the leaves decompose, allowing them to continue to supply this critical element to the growing plant roots beneath. When used throughout the year, a layer of 2 to 3 inches of leaf mulch can provide many benefits to the garden, including:
Peat Moss
Many gardeners swear by peat moss as a soil amendment and mulch. Its dry, spongy texture holds water and is ideal for absorbing water from rain or irrigation. Its sterile nature means it will not compete with grass, weeds or other plants for nutrients, and it has a slightly acidic nature that is good for many plants. Peat moss is also lightweight and makes for an easy material to haul around for garden or lawn projects.
But it comes with a few environmental concerns, particularly because of how it is harvested. Peat moss is created in cool, moist bogs as sphagnum moss decomposes over time, forming a thick mat that can become quite deep. Bogs are known as carbon sinks, storing massive amounts of carbon that would otherwise be released into the air as greenhouse gases. But when the sphagnum peat is harvested, it releases that carbon back into the air.
Bogs are sensitive to climate change and some are being destroyed as a result of warming temperatures and drought, which is making it difficult for the moss to keep growing. That’s why some conservationists and scientists are calling for a ban on the use of peat moss.
While some horticulturists may still prefer it to other mulch and soil additives, there are several natural alternatives that can be used in its place. Pine bark and compost, for example, can both be used as a substitute for peat moss. They both help prevent soil from becoming too compacted, which allows water and essential nutrients to penetrate the soil more easily.
Other natural options for gardening and lawns include worm castings, sphagnum peat moss (often called PittMoss), vermicast from earthworms, and shredded leaves. All of these are available online and at some garden centers.
In addition to being environmentally friendly, these alternatives are cheaper than peat moss. However, none of them perform as well as peat moss for gardeners, especially when it comes to aerating the soil and retaining moisture. Using these items as substitutes for peat moss will require a bit of experimentation to find the best mix for your gardening or lawn project.