Mulching is an effective form of weed control and it is one of the best treatments you can use to protect the health and beauty of your landscape. It involves placing a layer of material around the plants and over the soil in a flower bed or line of shrubs. These materials can be organic or inorganic.
Benefits of Mulching
Many people think that mulching is just a method for controlling weeds, but it actually carries many more benefits than just keeping weeds at bay.
A few of the benefits of mulching include:
- Mulching prevents erosion in the soil.
- Mulching minimizes compaction during the rainy season.
- Mulching helps to keep an even temperature in the soil.
- Mulching is a form of water conservation as it conserves wetness.
- Mulching can increase the number of nutrients in the soil.
- Mulching helps your landscape maintain an even and attractive appearance.
Decorative Stone
Landscape stone (decorative gravel) comes in many varieties of size, shapes, and color blends. Depending on suppliers in your area there will be different options and depending on your taste or a landscape designer’s taste you will choose differently as based on what is best for your property.
A few of the benefits of Decorative Stone include:
Reduced Maintenance: Mulch needs to be re-applied annually because it decomposes and fades. Stone doesn’t require re-application except in rare circumstances.
Appearance Longevity: Stone does not decompose and lasts for decades. However, it may fade slightly and require a top-dressing every 5-10 years. As long as you keep debris out of beds it should stay fairly clean.
Reduced Debris: Stone is great to use around pool areas or hardscaping because, unlike mulch, it won’t wash out onto these areas or dirty up water.
Reduced Fungal Growth: Stone will not be a food source for fungi to grow on like some mulch.