Warmer weather has arrived and, as Australians, we love nothing more than spending time outside! Mulching not only makes a garden look great but is very beneficial for your garden.
Why use a mulch?
Mulches are generally used for the following reasons:
- Maintain soil moisture levels – Mulching keeps the moisture levels high in your garden will help reduce watering especially in the warmer months of summer.
- Suppress weed growth – By reducing sunlight to the soil you reduce the chance of dormant weed seed germinating.
- Add organic matter and increase microorganisms in the soil – As organic based mulches compost, they increase microorganism activity, producing healthier soil.
- Aesthetically pleasing – Improve the look of your garden and help create foliage contrasts between mulch and plants.
How much mulch do you need?
At Thomson Landscapes we recommend 1m3 will cover 10m2 at 100mm thick. This estimate is to cover an area that has no mulch there already.
Putting a mulch down at 100mm thick is optimal coverage to benefit from the points above.
What mulch should you use?
The most commonly used mulches include
Pine Bark:
A chocolate brown nugget-shaped wood chip available in 10mm and 25mm.
10mm pine bark is commonly used in formal gardens and in smaller areas.
25mm pine bark is commonly used in informal gardens and larger areas. See our Pine Bark Wood Chip Mulch.
Hardwood Chip:
A honey brown chip available in 20-30mm.
This long-lasting mulch is commonly used in larger gardens. See our Hardwood Chip product.
Leaf Mulch:
A coarse 20-40mm chip from selected tree loppings.
Leaf mulch is commonly used in informal and native gardens. It composts quickly and will add nutrients to the soil faster than other mulches. Because of this, however, it may need topping up more frequently than others. See our Leaf Mulch here.
At Thomson Landscape Supplies a wide range of mulches are available.
For more information, see our products page, make an inquiry via our Contact Form or give us a call on 02 9457 8011.
I think it is important to understand the different types of mulch you can use. I like that you mentioned the benefits of some here. You are going to buy a different mulch if you are going for a more aesthetic look.
I found this article a very helpful read before i phoned and spoke to the lovely staff. as a new first home owner in the local area i would have had no idea how much mulch to order but it all became an extremely easy process when i called and ordered.
i would highly recommend Thomson’s to anyone in the local area – very nice and helpful staff and good looking products.
Hi Clair,
We are glad to hear you have found this post informative, we are working on some more simple posts for other projects in the garden. Stay tuned 🙂
I love looking at gardens around my neighborhood but I would rather look at mine. Unfortunately I need help with the stability and life of my garden. I’ve heard about mulch before, but I didn’t know about it’s benefits until after I read your article. I think suppressing weed growth would be really great for my garden because no matter how many times I try to pull them out, they always come back.