Choosing The Best Mulch How To Choose Garden Mulch

How do I choose the best mulch for my garden?
What is the best quality mulch?
What color of mulch is best?
What is the longest lasting mulch?
What should I look for when buying mulch?
Should you remove old mulch?
Is it cheaper to buy mulch in bulk or bags?
Will mulch attract bugs?
Do you remove old mulch before adding new mulch?
What color mulch fades the least?
Which mulch attracts less bugs?

How do I choose the best mulch for my garden?

In general, pick a type with larger chunks, because it'll decompose more slowly. And choose bark-type mulches (such as pine bark nuggets) before shredded wood types (such as cedar bark mulch, cypress and hardwood). Keep in mind that mulch reduces maintenance but doesn't eliminate it.

What is the best quality mulch?

Here are the best mulch options for your lawn and garden.

Best Overall: Texas Native All-Natural Hardwood Mulch. ...
Best Budget: Vigoro Premium Colorized Mulch. ...
Best for Landscaping: NuScape Rubber Mulch Nuggets. ...
Best for Vegetables: CleanStraw Long Leaf Pine Straw. ...
Best for Flower Beds: Soil Blend Super Compost 8 lbs.

What color of mulch is best?

There are three basic colors for mulch: black, brown and red. If you plant dark foliage or dark green colors, almost any mulch color works. As a general rule of thumb for flowers, pick a mulch color that does not work against the color of your blooms. For example, white flowers look beautiful with red mulch.

What is the longest lasting mulch?

Generally more expensive than the other mulches mentioned here, cedar mulch lasts longer than most mulches thanks to its resistance to decay. Its oils are considered to naturally repel insects, too. BECAUSE this mulch is long lasting, it doesn't provide much nutritional benefit to the soil beneath it.

What should I look for when buying mulch?

Picking the Right Mulch

One cubic yard of mulch (or nine 3-cu. ...
Choose organic mulch if you want to both cover the soil and enrich it.
The faster the type of mulch percolates water, the longer it lasts. ...
Mulch nuggets easily wash away on slopes. ...
Plan on applying shredded bark mulch about 3 inches deep. ...
Avoid buying cypress mulch.

Should you remove old mulch?

Expert green thumbs contend that getting rid of last year's mulch is completely unnecessary. Mulch gradually breaks down, adding beneficial nutrients and other organic matter to the soil. ... However, if you're down to an inch, top off the old layer with an additional inch of new mulch to keep it at its optimum level.

Is it cheaper to buy mulch in bulk or bags?

Bag or bulk? Mulch comes in bags, usually containing 2 or 3 cubic feet, or by the truckload, measured in cubic yards. (A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet.) Bagged mulch is much more expensive but easier to handle, especially if you have no place for a pile of bulk mulch.

Will mulch attract bugs?

The answer is no. The mulch itself won't attract bugs, pests, or rodents, but will provide shelter for them if they're already present in your garden or backyard.

Do you remove old mulch before adding new mulch?

For an annual bed, remove old mulch before you till the soil and add compost. If you're applying mulch to a perennial bed, you might be tempted to just add a new layer of mulch on top, but this can cause rot, nutrient starvation, and plant death. Remove as much of the old layers as possible before you add more.

What color mulch fades the least?

Meanwhile, dyed brown mulches or black mulches can last for a minimum of a year, and in some products longer with little color loss. This makes dyed mulches, either black or brown, more desirable than natural mulches.

Which mulch attracts less bugs?

Cedar and Cypress

Bark or chip mulches made from cedar or cypress trees are helpful for repelling insects. Both cedar and cypress wood contain natural oils and chemicals such as thujone that deter bugs.