What is mulching and why does your garden need it?
Look around at gardens that are freshly planted by landscapers and you’ll find a thick layering of mulch on the soil and around the base of the plants — and typically that mulch is pine straw. Mulching is a great way to keep your garden soil healthy and moist, and it helps prevent weed growth.
Pine straw is a natural mulch that is easy to use, readily available and has many benefits for your garden.
Why Pine Straw?
If you live in Louisiana you are bound to see pine needles falling from pine trees this time of year and you might even be raking them up in your yard on the weekends.
Pine straw is a type of mulch that is made from the needles and bark of pine trees. Pine straw is a good choice for garden mulching because it is all natural, lightweight, easy to spread, and helps to keep the soil moist.
Since pine straw retains moisture, this lengthens the amount of time needed in between watering. Just like ourselves, plants need water every single day in order to thrive, even in the cooler months. During the winter time people tend to forget about watering — which is why having mulch and an irrigation system is so important.
If you’re tired of watering, you might want to consider a programmable irrigation sprinkler system. This ensures your plants get watered on a daily schedule without ever having to think about it again.
Want a quote on an irrigation system? Contact us today.
Does mulch reduce weeds?
Pine straw reduces the amount of weeds in your garden beds. Mulching with pine straw suppresses weeds by providing competition for light and nutrients and by trapping moisture underneath the leaf litter. This inhibits weed germination and growth overall, which will likely decrease or eliminate weed problems in your garden over time.
It also adds organic matter to the soil. Mulched gardens are enriched with natural materials that promote healthy plant growth and function within the ecosystem. In particular, pine straw adds nitrogen (a key nutrient), critical minerals like magnesium & potassium, carbon from decomposing vegetation, and other beneficial organisms into the soils where they can work together to create a healthy environment for plants year-round!
Mulching year round also reduces water runoff and stabilizes the temperature of the soil.
Mulching mitigates evaporation from exposed soil surfaces, which can lead to wet gardens in summer and dry gardens during winter.
By reducing the amount of water lost through surface runoff, you'll also help maintain healthy plants and soils over time.
Mulching tips:
We recommend mulching with crushed pine straw. Simply rake the straw into a layer 1-2 inches deep and spread it around the base of the plants.
Mulching with pine straw can not only improve the appearance of your garden but will also contribute to your soil and plant health.
Want us to help with your new landscape install or need a garden refresh with fresh much in time for the holidays? Give us a call today!
