If you own a lawn in the Orlando area, then you have probably asked yourself, “Do I need to put down mulch every year?” In an area where we enjoy long, hot summers and short, cold winters, one of the biggest expenses is adding mulch to help protect our landscapes from the elements. But many homeowners overlook mulch for one reason or another. Whether you’ve been too busy to do it or just weren’t interested in spending the time it took to do it in the past, there are a few things you should know now about mulch installation.

Mulch doesn’t necessarily need to be a thick, glossy layer throughout your entire lawn. In fact, most experts would advise that you leave some of the soil on the surface, to help the roots of the grass develop stronger and healthier over the years. You can still layer mulch with a light sand layer to protect against weeds, but it’s a much better idea to leave at least a quarter inch of “white” mulch on the ground beneath the new mulch, as this will provide a year round shield from sun, rain, and abuse from lawn-eating animals such as deer and foxes. This, coupled with proper mulching, will save you the trouble of dealing with weeds and rotting wood. Visit yourneighborhoodlawnservice.net for more information.

Another thing to consider is the type of mulch you use. Many gardeners think that a brand-new bag of mulch will do the trick, but this is simply not true. It may take several years for your mulch to break down completely and begin to provide the protection your hardscapes need. So, if you haven’t tried using mulch in years or feel you can’t justify the effort of putting it down, you should definitely look into the availability of old-fashioned mulch bags that will do the job just as well.

Old mulches are available in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, so you can easily coordinate them to match your existing landscape. Don’t worry about weed growth – weed mats or black spruce bark mulches do an equally good job of keeping weeds out. You can even recycle mulch bags by putting them to use and recycling the bag. These bags make great mulch bags because they are designed to hold a particular size of mulch. So, for example, you have a small garden, then you can use a bag designed for large landscapes.

Old mulches can be an effective weed barrier, but they’re even better when they’re topped with a weed guard. This provides additional protection from weeds and protects the underlying mulch layer from further damage, erosion, and damage from wind and snow. Weed guards can also help prevent soil erosion by improving the quality of the soil beneath the mulches. However, you can always choose to forgo weed guards and just do the pruning in the spring.

Weeds are a part of life, and you shouldn’t expect them to be entirely removed that quickly and easily. But having a good mulch layer will go a long way toward helping you control the weeds that will begin to take root in your new and beautiful landscaping. For more information on what types of mulches are best for different areas, check out Landscape Experts’ Mulching Tips.