Bulk Material Guideline

In addition to beautifully framing your landscape and giving it a polished, finished appearance, mulch is a security blanket for all plants. In the winter it will insulate the roots and in the summer heat, it will help retain moisture. Mulch aids in weed suppression, thereby reducing the amount of time you need to spend maintaining the landscape. Organic mulch will supply nutrients and condition the soil and will be more effective for the health of the plant over using synthetic mulches. As all organic mulches will decompose over time, and it will be necessary to replenish your mulch periodically.

Bark mulch is the most common mulch available. As the bark decomposes, it will change color and add nutrients back into the soil. Bark has a great smell and comes in various colors. The color of most bark mulches is natural but, in some cases, it may be synthetically enhanced.

• When applying mulch be careful not to over-apply. To keep the plants healthy a 2-3” depth is recommended and make sure the mulch is not touching the stem(s) of plants and the root flare is visible. If the stems or root flair are not kept free of mulch, the plants and trees may become oxygen deprived leading to stress, disease and possibly death.

There are many other types of organic mulches such as straw, salt marsh hay, cocoa bean hull, and buckwheat hull. Fall leaf litter and dropped pine needles can also be effective organic mulches.

• Straw mulch is particularly useful in in winter when it may be necessary to shade sunny beds to prevent untimely thawing and heaving and not retain moisture that could promote fungal germination in early spring.
  Straw mulch is also ideal for your vegetable garden. It is lightweight, will help retain moisture, suppress weed growth, and it breaks down quickly, providing additional nutrients to the soil.
• Cocoa bean hull mulch is used in the same way as bark mulch; however, it may be toxic to dogs.
• Buckwheat hull mulch makes for a very attractive, textured, and even cover for both vegetable and flower beds.
• After raking your leaves in the fall, simply shred the dry leaves with your lawnmower and use as mulch. Partially decomposed leaves may also be used as mulch but will take longer to break down than shredded leaves.
• Pine needles make particularly good mulch for acid-loving plants. Pine needle mulch has the advantage of being lighter weight than bark mulch, allowing for greater water percolation into the soil plus it breaks down more slowly.

At Weston Nurseries, we make our own mulch blends, available in bulk for pick-up or delivery. We also stock a variety of other mulches in bulk or by the bag.