All materials used to mulch plants retain moisture in the soil, inhibit new weed growth and provide more even soil temperature changes. In addition, organic mulches such as those made of shredded tree bark or mixed-wood also provide long-term source of soil nutrients to plants as they decompose. And just as important, mulches provide color and texture to the landscape that enhances the beauty of your home.
TopAbsolutely! Our EarthTech dyed mulch is generally made of wood products that have been dyed to a specific color. The colorant used is all-natural pigment that is laboratory tested and certified safe for plants and animals alike. Typical colors are red, brown, black, and gold but we can produce green, blue, or just about any other color as well.
TopMade from recycled tires and often dyed to specific colors, rubber mulch is safe and offers all the benefits of other non-organic mulch products. It costs more than other mulches, but it lasts a long, long time
TopSure. Earth ‘N Wood offers a wide variety of decorative gravels in a variety of colors and sizes to fit any landscape. Stone Mulches generally cost more initially, but last forever, never fade or decompose, and are unique. Used in conjunction with bed edging and “weed stop”, stone mulch is an outstanding value.
TopMulch doesn’t really blow away – it simply falls apart or decays. All organic materials will eventually “gray out” due to exposure to the sun’s rays and decompose into smaller and smaller particle sizes. As it decomposes it eventually looks like dirt. The good news is, as this process continues the mulch becomes a long-term source of nutrients to the plants it surrounds. The bad news is it will also begin to support weed seeds that blow into the bed. EarthTech dyed mulches can retain their color for up to two years and still look good, and our stone mulches never fade. If long-lasting color is important, choosing either EarthTech dyed mulch or stone mulch is a good value. Also, the coarser the material used as mulch, the longer it takes to decay. Pine Nuggets, Pine Needles, and Cypress are coarse mulches that take much longer to break apart (but they’ll still gray out over time).
TopNo, and No. All hardwood mulch sold by Earth ‘N Wood goes through a natural heating process that raises temperatures to above 140 degrees. This natural pasteurization removes any plant pathogens and any insects that may wander into it. It is simply too hot. Also, it is an urban legend that termites are found in mulch. Termites live in the ground and come out of the ground to feed on sources of solid wood - usually your house. They may investigate your mulch pile looking for a quick bite, but they live near your house. The same is true for ants. Many insects like a cool, moist environment that mulch of any kind provides. So do your plants. And remember that not all bugs are bad. They’re part of a decomposition process that breaks down organic material for use by your plants.
Weeds are another matter. The older and finer your mulch is, the more likely a weed seed blowing in the wind will find a place in your bed that it can take root. Putting mulch down inhibits weed growth from new weed seeds, but if there are weeds or weed seeds in the ground beneath the mulch, those plants may grow through the mulch and enjoy a great home right along with your shrubs and flowers. The best defense against weeds from the soil below the mulch is an application of pre-emergent herbicide to the soil before putting mulch down – or use of a weed barrier fabric that creates a physical barrier to weed growth. Both these products are available at our stores.
TopIt’s most likely fungus. As mulch decomposes and temperatures rise in July and August, hardwood mulch can occasionally become a friendly home to several fungus growths. One type looks like toadstools. Another looks like, well, somebody got sick on it. These two types are harmless. Breaking them up with a rake or your foot will eliminate them. A good dose of water will also get rid of them. A rare third type, called a “shotgun” fungus, has spores that may “explode” and leave small dots along siding of your house. These spores, although small, are hard to remove from siding. The best defense against fungi is to destroy them as soon as you spot them. Call us if you think you’ve got a “shotgun” fungus.
TopNo way. Soils have two characteristics that are important - texture and fertility. Fertile soil will grow plants better than infertile soil. Any soil can be made more fertile easily with the addition of nutrients in fertilizers. Fertility is something that can’t be seen with eye. It can only be measured with a soil test.
Texture is another matter. Fertile soil that has poor texture won’t grow good plants. Good texture means that the soil has a lot of open space between the soil particles – called pore space. The space between the particles is where air and water are held for the plant. It’s also where the roots find their way downward. Without enough pore space, plants won’t grow well. A walking path is a good example of soil that’s so compacted that all the pore space is gone. Water won’t soak into it, and roots can’t penetrate it. On the other hand, too much pore space is just as bad. Try growing grass on the beach. Water goes right through it and doesn’t hang around enough for the plant to use it.
Good soils have good texture (pore space) and good fertility.
TopA lab test is the most accurate. Fertilizers can be easily added to add nutrients to the soil. As for natural fertility, a general rule of thumb is the higher the percentage of organic matter in the soil, the more long-term fertility it will have. Organic matter is basically dead and decomposed plant material. In most topsoil’s, this percentage is from 2-5%. In organic soils such as OHIO PEAT or COMPOST the percentage may be as high as 60%. An easy way to tell the amount of organic material is to note the color – the darker the soil, the more organic matter. Earth ‘N Wood mixes high-organic materials into its soil products to increase the organic levels, and therefore increasing the long-term fertility, of the soil.
TopThe best soils have textures with a wide range of particle sizes. They’re called “granular” soils and have a lot of open space between the particles for water and air to be held for growth. Many of our customers would like soil as fine as powder, but this would not be good soil because the texture lacks the openness needed for good plant growth. On the other hand, soil made up of only marble-size particles wouldn’t be any good either. As a rule of thumb, good texture is a soil that can be squeezed into a ball with your hand and the broken up again with a small amount of effort. Earth ‘N Wood’s soil products are specifically blended to provide enhanced texture and fertility.
TopNot at all, we screen our soils to make them easier to work with and not for any other reason. Stones and woody elements in the soil help create the pore space mentioned above. The wood or grass pieces decompose and in the process leave behind pore space for roots to grow and water to be held.
TopNot really. In the spring and after rains, soil particles are wetter and tend to stick together more, creating clumps after being screened and loaded. The fertility and overall texture of the soil is unaffected. Most clumps break up readily with raking and natural drying. Many people confuse soil “balls” with stones.
TopProbably not. For grass to grow strong, it must have soil that has enough space to allow for water and air to be held, and for roots to penetrate the soil up to 9”. But it also has to have enough light. Usually, problems under trees are the result of not enough light reaching the grass. The only real solution is to prune the tree to allow more light – or to create a bed and mulch around the tree.
TopProbably neither one. Most folks don’t loosen the soil enough on the spots in the lawn. These spots are really compacted because they’ve been rained or walked on and the grass roots can’t penetrate them easily. To be successful, take a shovel or pick and REALLY loosen the dirt to 4 to 6” deep. Grass seed will sprout with the addition of water and GOOD SEED-SOIL contact. Just throwing loose seed down on hard ground won’t get it done. For good success, the seed has to be thrown down and then buried with the back of a rake, or pushed down into the soil with a lighter roller, a foot, or some other devise. Seed must be “planted” to sprout
TopNot really. Seed contains enough nutrients to get it growing until it needs mowed. Also consider that until the plant develops roots it can’t absorb any nutrients. Of course you can add a “starter” fertilizer when you seed but you can also wait until the grass has been mowed to add your fertilizer – when the plant has some roots to absorb the nutrients.
TopIt's a low concentration of nutrients blended to focus on the development of the plant roots.
TopNo you don’t – and no you shouldn’t. Lime is used to raise the PH of the soil. Without getting too technical, what’s important is that grass (and other plants) grows BEST when the PH is in a certain range. The addition of lime will raise PH over time. Too much lime, though, can result in a PH that is too high your grass or plants will not do as well. The only way to really know how much lime to apply is to have a soil test done. Bring a pint of soil into any of our stores and for a small fee, we’ll send it out to a lab. They’ll send it back with both Lime and Fertilizer recommendations.
TopNO. NO. NO. Removing them removes the nutrients. It is an urban legend that grass clippings lead to excess thatch in the lawn. It’s NOT true. Do yourself a favor – leave the grass clippings on the lawn. You’ll save time and fertilizer.
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