One of the most beneficial things homeowners can do for their landscape beds and gardens is to apply a layer of mulch. A thick layer of mulch, especially an organic variety like Wood Chips, serves many functions. Organic mulches such as wood chips, pine needles, grass clippings, or shredded bark have many characteristics making them invaluable to gardeners and homeowners.
A recent study evaluating the ability of several organic materials such as wood chips, grass clippings, bark, yard waste, and leaves, to serve as mulch, found that wood chips were a top performer. It ranked high in the areas of weed suppression, moisture retention, maintaining a consistent temperature, and long-term sustainability.
Organic mulches, especially Wood Chips, are very effective at providing weed suppression. Although the reason why is not completely understood, it is probably due to the mulch blocking the sunlight needed for the weed seeds to germinate and by reducing the levels of nitrogen which is necessary for the weed seedlings. It is most effective if there are not visible weeds at the time the mulch is applied.
The diversified makeup of wood chips, which consists of leaves and bark, as well as the chips, lends to its beneficial properties. Unlike uniform mulches such as shredded bark, pine needles, or sawdust, the physical differences of the components enables the wood chips to withstand foot traffic, resulting in less compaction.
The decomposition of organic mulches provided by Timberline Tree Service returns nutrients and additives to the earth. Since the components in wood chips vary in their rate of decomposition due to their size and makeup. This is turn extends the sustainability of the mulch and creates an environment rich in biodiversity. The diverse nature of this type of soil results in an environment that is less likely to be affected by environmental changes and capable of supporting healthy plants.
A major advantage to using wood chips is that many are produced locally and are often provided free of cost. This is because many wood chips are derived from recycled wood products like pallets and other sources. In a culture favoring sustainability, recycled mulches are an economically and environmentally sound choice. So start adding mulch and feel good about what you are doing for the environment, your garden beds, and your bank account.
