Mulch comes in all shapes and sizes, from wood chips and shredded leaves to grass clippings, pine needles, stones, and rubber. Each brings something different to the table, so it’s all about finding what works for your garden.
Organic mulches, such as wood chips, break down gradually and help improve your soil. Meanwhile, inorganic mulches like stones or rubber don’t decompose, but they still control weeds and keep moisture in. This guide will help you explore the different mulch types to choose the one that best suits your needs.
Organic mulches
Organic mulch includes once-living materials like bark, grass clippings, straw, and leaves, all of which break down over time and add nutrients back into your soil to give your lawn, flower beds, and vegetable garden an extra boost:
For more on this topic, read our guide: Organic vs. Inorganic Mulch
Shredded wood/chips
- Appearance: A natural, rustic look with pieces ranging from small slivers to larger chunks.
- Cost: $30 to $110 per cubic yard
- Durability: 1 to 3 years, depending on weather and the thickness of your mulch layer.
- Best for: Garden beds, around shrubs, and areas where you want a natural look.
- Benefits: Adds nutrients to the soil, retains moisture, suppresses weeds, and makes for a nice surface underfoot.
- Considerations: Attracts termites if not properly maintained.
Wood chips are made from leftover wood at sawmills or logging operations, so they’re eco-friendly and easy on your wallet.
But there are some drawbacks. Certain fungi can appear on the chips, says Chuck Ingels, UC Farm Advisor with the UC Master Gardeners of Sacramento County. These include mushrooms, slime mold (also called “dog vomit”), and bird’s nest fungus. “These are harmless to the soil, although mushrooms can be poisonous and slime mold is pretty squishy on the feet,” he notes.
Wood nuggets
- Appearance: Larger, chunkier pieces of bark or wood.
- Cost: More expensive than standard wood chips or shredded mulch, typically ranging from $4 to $12 per bag, depending on the type and quality.
- Durability: Long-lasting, between 7 and 10 years, since the large pieces decompose more slowly than finer mulch options. However, you can still add a fresh layer on top every spring.
- Best for: Decorative landscaping, around trees, shrubs, and garden beds where you want a low-maintenance mulch.
- Benefits: Help with weeds and moisture issues.
- Considerations: They decompose slowly, so you won’t have to refresh often.
Wood nuggets stay put better than shredded mulch and also keep your soil from getting too packed down, which helps with airflow. Plus, certain wood nuggets, like pine bark nuggets, can gradually lower soil pH over time. That’s great if you’re growing azaleas, rhododendrons, or blueberries, but if your soil is already acidic, you’ll want to keep that in check.
Pine needles
- Appearance: Also called pine straw, pine needles have a fine, thread-like appearance. The long, thin strands form a delicate, textured layer.
- Cost: Around $20 to $55 per cubic yard, but free if you can gather them from your yard.
- Durability: They last 1 to 2 years before breaking down or longer if you keep them dry and undisturbed.
- Best for: Acid-loving plants like azaleas, garden beds, flower borders, and around trees.
- Benefits: Retain moisture, regulate soil temperature, and resist compaction.
- Considerations: May not work well in areas with heavy foot traffic, as the needles can shift or scatter. Another downside is that they’re more flammable than other mulches, so be careful in fire-prone areas.
Pine needles are super lightweight and give your garden a nice natural vibe. Plus, the long needles provide a unique contrast to other bulkier mulches.
But as lovely as fresh pine needles look, their color doesn’t last forever. In full sun, that rich yellow-brown fades to a dull, ashy tone over time. However, they break down slowly, so you won’t have to replace them as often – unless you want a color refresh.
Straw
- Appearance: It has a dry, hollow, and fibrous texture, and it’s made up of long, thin stalks that are loose and fluffy.
- Cost: About $35 to $40 per cubic yard.
- Durability: Around one season.
- Best for: Protecting germinating vegetables, flowers, grass seeds, and seedlings in spring or over dormant plants in the late fall/early winter.
- Benefits: Retains soil moisture, prevents erosion, suppresses weeds, and adds organic matter as it decomposes.
- Considerations: Can blow away in windy areas.
Straw is light and easy to handle. It’s also a great way to keep your soil warm for a longer period, giving cool-weather veggies like lettuce and carrots a better shot at growing even when the weather’s chillier.
Unlike some wood mulches that keep bugs away, straw actually attracts beneficial critters like ground beetles and predatory wasps that naturally keep pests under control. And it’s super easy to mix with wood chips, compost, or grass clippings to make it last longer.
Compost
- Appearance: Dark, rich, and crumbly.
- Cost: $20 to $50 per cubic yard, or free if you make your own.
- Durability: Decomposes quickly, needs to be replenished every few months.
- Best for: Vegetable gardens, flower beds, and any area where you want to improve soil quality.
- Benefits: Adds nutrients to the soil, improves soil structure, retains moisture, suppresses weeds, and supports beneficial organisms like earthworms.
- Considerations: Can attract rodents or insects if not used properly. You have to keep it slightly moist to maintain its beneficial properties.
Compost is a blend of organic waste, such as food scraps and garden trimmings, that has decomposed into dark, nutrient-rich dirt. Think of it as a slow-release fertilizer for your plants.
You can let nature compost, or you can make your own at home, cutting down on waste and mulch costs and helping the environment. Just remember to include both brown carbon-rich and green nitrogen-rich materials to help microorganisms break down the compost and feed your soil and plants.
Coco coir
- Appearance: Sponge-like texture. It’s available as sheets, loose fibers, or more commonly as bricks.
- Cost: $4 to $7 per brick.
- Durability: Up to 3 years.
- Best for: Flower beds, vegetable gardens, and potted plants.
- Benefits: Can hold up to 10 times its weight in water, so it’s ideal for dry climates.
- Considerations: If you buy it in compressed brick form, soak it before use. Unlike other mulches, it doesn’t offer many nutrients, so it’s a good idea to pair it with compost or fertilizer.
Made from ground coconut husks, coco coir (or coco mulch) is a carbon-rich, eco-friendly mulch option that balances out nitrogen-heavy soils. Its fibrous nature helps loosen up dense clay soils. The fibers create air pockets, improving drainage and making the soil healthier.
Inorganic mulches
Inorganic mulch, like rubber or gravel, won’t break down over time, so it lasts a lot longer without needing much TLC from you. It keeps weeds away and gives your garden a sleek look, but it doesn’t improve soil health or help the environment.
Stones
- Appearance: Come in various sizes, shapes, and colors, including lava rock, river rock, pea gravel, crushed stone, and polished pebbles.
- Cost: Depending on the kind you get, they can range from $50 to $180 per cubic yard.
- Durability: Very long-lasting. They don’t break down like organic mulches.
- Best for: Trees, shrubs, walkways, and hardscapes.
- Benefits: Offer low-maintenance, permanent coverage.
- Considerations: Retain heat, which can be stressful for your plants in the summer. Don’t use them where you plant often because the stones will be lost in the dirt, turning your soil rocky.
Stone is tough and practical. They won’t wash away when it rains. Use them on slopes, around your house, or in tree beds. Pea gravel and crushed stone are also great for preventing puddles near downspouts and driveways.
If you’re using stone mulch to stop weeds, use landscape fabric underneath. Also, watch out for dirt buildup between the stones where weeds can take root.
Rubber
- Appearance: Comes in shredded or nugget form, mimicking traditional wood mulch but looking more vibrant.
- Cost: $80 to $140 per cubic yard.
- Durability: Up to 10 years.
- Best for: Trees, shrubs, children’s play areas, and hardscapes.
- Benefits: It’s low maintenance, reduces erosion, doesn’t attract pests, and prevents weeds.
- Considerations: It’s often made from recycled tires, so it’s flammable and has a distinct, rather unpleasant odor.
Rubber mulch lasts 10-plus years without replacement. It effectively suppresses weeds, allows good water flow to plants, and requires minimal maintenance since it doesn’t decompose or blow away. Rubber also insulates plant roots and is great for your kids’ playground since it’s softer than wood mulch and helps prevent injuries.
Read more: The Pros and Cons of Rubber Mulch
Crushed shells
- Appearance: Have a slightly rough texture. They retain some shell-like shapes, but they’re fragmented into small, irregular pieces.
- Cost: $40 to $400 per cubic yard, depending on the size of the shells.
- Durability: 3 to 5 years, depending on the weather conditions.
- Best for: Coastal gardens, pathways, or around plants that thrive in sandy soil.
- Benefits: Excellent drainage and provides a unique coastal or beachy vibe. It also helps with pH balance for plants that prefer slightly acidic soil.
- Considerations: Can be sharp and scatter over time, so they’re unsuitable if you have children. They can also get dirty and require cleaning occasionally.
Oftentimes, crushed shell mulch comes from recycled or sustainably sourced shells, making it an eco-friendly option. Plus, as the shells break down, they release minerals that can help nourish and improve your soil.
Because of their beachy origins, crushed shells can attract all kinds of wildlife, including beneficial insects, snails, or certain birds who love the marine connection.
Get a pro’s mulch touch
Mulch acts like a protective, cozy layer for your garden – it keeps moisture in, blocks weeds, and boosts your soil’s health.
If you’d rather leave the mulching to the pros, Lawn Love can connect you with a local gardening expert to lay your mulch and share some handy tips. Plus, a lawn care company nearby can mow, aerate, fertilize, and overseed your lawn to keep it looking fresh.
Sources:
- “Mulches: Weeds in landscapes.” University of California Integrated Pest Management.
- “Wood Chips: Pros and Cons.” By Chuck Ingels, UC Farm Advisor. UC Master Gardeners of Sacramento County. University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Main Photo Credit: Dvortygirl | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 3.0
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