Bark Mulch Vs Hardwood Mulch

Mulching garden beds protects the soil from temperature extremes moisture loss and weeds.

Bark mulch vs hardwood mulch. Despite the fact that bark mulch and wood chips look identical each one has its own benefits for your garden bed. Are you asking yourself should i go with chunky or shredded mulch. Shredded hardwood bark mulch. Don t mix it into the.

While these trees are relatively hardy and can adapt to a wide range of soil types they are most commonly found in the swamps of florida louisiana alabama georgia mississippi and the carolinas. Cypress mulch is any mulch made from the wood of bald cypress or pond cypress trees. Keep in mind that mulch reduces maintenance but doesn t eliminate it. Therefore it contains a great deal more nutrition for your plants and as it decomposes it greatly improves the soil in your gardens.

Made of oak hickory and other hardwood barks this dark brown shredded or ground mulch is best as a top dressing or around trees and along pathways. The good the bad and the alternative. Despite the name hardwood mulches actually decompose faster in the landscape than cedar or pine bark mulch owing to a higher cellulose content. Organic mulches have to be replenished periodically usually every two to three years.

Colored wood mulch is often made from recycled wood that can contain objectionable additives including arsenic from pressure treated wood and is not always 100 hardwood pressure treated wood containing arsenic was phased out a decade ago by the epa but old crates and pallets may still be entering the recycling stream. If budget is an important consideration then pine straw is a great choice. Wood mulch comes in forms that include chips and bark. To provide you with a better understanding of the two here is a close look at the different factors and the way the two are similar or different.

And choose bark type mulches such as pine bark nuggets before shredded wood types such as cedar bark mulch cypress and hardwood. Shredded hardwood bark mulch is made from 100 tree bark and not ground up wood. For example chunkier bark mulch and wood chips tend to be more natural often coming from recently trimmed trees. Mulch performs a key role in an attractive healthy garden or landscape but the array of choices can prove daunting.

Mulch vs pine straw. Nonetheless this price benefit is noticeable only in the short term. Pine bark and hardwood mulches make up just two.