So Mulch Benefit to Your Yard

With Spring well underway, even as summer tries its best to creep up and creep in, Riverhead is landscaping up a storm! So now, BK is adding new flowerbeds, trees, and other plants and caring for what's already here. So we're also well into lawn and garden maintenance! Part of landscape maintenance and installation is that non-living landscape element that makes everything it touches a little bit better - mulch! It's been nearly a year since we've sung its praises, so now it's time to remind you about all the ways this garden covering improves and beautifies your landscape. Mulching Prevents Munching Nearly everything you love about your yard, someone else loves too. And we're not just talking about envious neighbors. Rodents, insects, slugs, snails, and more often think your flowers make a tasty treat. But a solution comes in our favorite shredded bark ground covering. Many soft-bodied animals don't like to crawl over shredded bark or anything rough in texture, making barks or even some plastic and stone garden coverings an effective deterrent. In addition, shredded cedar has a scent that repels reptiles, rodents, and insects, providing another layer of protection. Let the Sun Shine Summer is a time for outdoor entertaining. But as you enjoy the barbeque or pool party, you better slather on that sunscreen to avoid sunburn! But what about your gardens? There's no sunscreen for them! Or is there? Mulch creates an effective insulator for your plants in the summer and winter, keeping the sun from burning your roots and the snow from freezing them. So make sure you're mulched all season! Water, Water Everywhere. Don't Let It Get Away! Of course, the primary problem of the summer sun for your plants isn't burning; it's dehydration. You must water your plants regularly to keep them healthy, but that doesn't mean that simply applying water is enough. Even with adequate water, your gardens have two natural enemies: slope and evaporation. If your garden is not perfectly flat, the water may run downhill before the soil can absorb it. Likewise, when water has to get from the tops of plants to the roots, the hot sun can suck it up before the roots do. A layer of absorbent organic plant material can help with both dryness and runoff, allowing the water to seep down into the plant's roots like a percolating coffee filter. Weeds: Wanted Dead or… Actually, No, Just Dead While home gardeners face many challenges, we did an imaginary survey and found that their number one enemy for 9 out of 10 was weeds. Weeds like all the same things that flowers do, so keeping them out can be a challenge! Luckily mulch helps on two fronts. We See You Weeds, and You Won't Get Away with This! Firstly, as a backdrop for your flowers, you can pick a material that makes them stand out. For example, darkly dyed shredded tree bark contrasts nicely with green and light-colored flowers. That contrast also allows you to spot (and pull) weeds as soon as they sprout. We Offer Protection The other way bark or other material helps is by covering the bare soil. When the ground is not exposed, the weed seeds have a lower opportunity to grow in your gardens. Feed Me You may have noticed when using tree bark, nut shells, compost, or other plant material to cover your gardens; its height decreases over time. But it's not as if it just disappears. Even on its way out, organic plant material benefits the gardens it covers. That's because it breaks down and feeds the soil making it more hospitable to current and future plants. We Save Beauty for Last Because We Didn't Want to Be Shallow Finally, mulch is also a beautiful addition to your gardens! It comes in many materials, so it's easy to find the right one for you. We already mentioned dyed, shredded tree bark, as it's a prevalent material for gardens. And in the winter, it may be the only color left in your yard. But if you want something more permanent, another great choice is layers of stones, polished glass, or plastic. A less traditionally attractive but beneficial material is rubber tires shredded and used in playgrounds as a fairly permanent covering that is safe for little feet and elbows. Let BK Mulch It Right for You! Let BK's roots on the North Fork protect your plants' roots here, too, with all your mulching needs!