Like must gardeners I buy a large amount of mulch every year
for the garden. I used to buy cypress
mulch until I read the article below in the Naplesnews on the pros and cons
of different types of mulch. This year I
switched to Eucalyptus mulch, yes it is a little more expensive but i'm satisfied that all the
mulch sold locally is grown in plantations for this purpose. So far
I’m satisfied with the way it looks and hopefully it will last longer.
Cypress: Cypress mulch
is made from Bald Cypress and Pond Cypress trees, both of which grow in
Florida’s wetlands. Tests indicated a low settling rate and good color
retention after two years. Unfortunately, approximately 60 percent of the mulch
sold at retail garden centers is Cypress and many people consider it ‘native’
mulch. That may very well be but production of Cypress mulch contributes to the
devastation of our ecosystem. Because the trees are harvested from our natural
wetlands, using it in the landscape is not considered Florida-friendly.
Eucalyptus: Most
Eucalyptus trees are native to Australia, and are grown on plantations in
Florida for the express purpose of mulch production. Studies showed Eucalyptus
had a moderate settling rate, meaning it lasts longer in the landscape than
pine-straw, but not as long as pine bark or cypress. Eucalyptus is also one of
the mulches that showed the least change in color after a two year period.
Friday I woke up to this mess in the garden. During the night a weather front passed through
the area with up to 50 miles per hour winds.
The garden was ok, only a little messy.
Blooming this week.
The Yellow Buttercup attract many moths and bees.
Blue Porter flowers are in full bloom
The Plumeria tree is coming back to life
3 comments:
I think it is good to use different types of mulch - I am sure they all add different things to the soil as they break down. Your newly mulched garden looks lovely, but sorry about that storm.
I use melaluca mulch,available at Lowe's,for $1.97/bag.It mats down nicely and makes a great weed block.Plus it has no chemicals in it,so it's safe to use around the vegetable garden.
I think its great that you are switching to another mulch. I did look up the mulch that ChrisC above says is available at Lowes but the price is not 1.97 - its $2.98. Here is the link http://www.lowes.com/pd_449528-446-87852960_4294728555__?productId=4448205&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar%7C1&pl=1¤tURL=%3FNs%3Dp_product_qty_sales_dollar%7C1&facetInfo= happy gardening!
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