There is nothing more enjoyable as a homeowner than spending quality time on your property, enjoying the beneficial shade offered by your trees and vegetation and inhaling the tantalizing scents of your flowers. In summer, our gardens and landscapes become safe heavens where family and friends gather up to share unforgettable moments. But a lush, healthy and thriving property needs a bit of extra summer care. Summer comes with plenty of benefits and many downfalls, so you should be ready to do some extra work. Our lawn care Lebanon, OH experts and our landscaping Maineville, OH specialists decided to give you a crash course on mulching your vegetation.

1. Mulch as a Fertilizer

Being an organic material, mulch contains natural ingredients like grass clippings, shredded bark, chopped leaves and twigs, paper shreds, straws, compost, manure and so on.

  • Mulch can be moist (and it is more preferred as it decomposes faster feeding all your vegetation) or dry (having a more decorative role as it decomposes slower).
  • As the moist mulch decomposes, it releases natural nourishments into the soil, helping the plants’ roots feed better and become more resilient to soil imbalances, extreme weather conditions, pests and so on.
  • Such grassier, moister mulch varieties need to be replaced as they get absorbed into the soil.

2. Mulch as a Natural Defense System

A proper mulch layer keeps all the vegetation roots protected from heat, pest attacks and accidents caused by gardening tools, mowers and so on. It can be layered around trees, in flower beds, in vegetable gardens, around shrubs, perennials, hedges and even in large flower pots. While it keeps scorching sunrays away from the roots, it also helps with the soil moisture balance. Mulch keeps pests and small wildlife at bay as well.

3. Mulch as a Decorative Element

Ask the landscaping Lebanon, OH experts and they will tell you mulch also has a high aesthetic value for a property. It makes a garden, a patio, and yard look neat, clean and tidy. If you want to add more beauty to functionality, you can use colored mulch to add contrast, depth and texture to the landscape.

4. How to Layer Mulch Correctly on Your Property?

You can ask your local lawn care Lebanon, OH team to layer mulch everywhere it is needed: around trees, in flower beds and in vegetable gardens. However, if you like to get dirty and take care of your property by yourself, you can apply mulch properly by using the 3-3-3 rule.

  • Apply a 3-inch thick layer of mulch around each tree, shrub and bush.
  • Keep the layer of mulch in a circle / ring shape and spread the circle on a 3-feet area to cover as much root system as possible.
  • Keep a 3-inch distance between the tree bark or plant’s bark and the actual layer of mulch.

Never layer mulch in a volcano-shape pile that touches the barks. You risk causing an infection that might lead to the trees’ or shrubs’ death. Have your local lawn care Lebanon, OH team help you with the layering if it is your first trial.