Frequently Asked Questions:
What is mulch?
What is good mulch?
Why should I mulch?
How should I mulch?
How do I get mulch?
Mulch is a forest product, made from trees such as oak, ash, and maple. The Mulch Company shreds and sizes the raw material through a grinder into small uniform size pieces. The shredded mulch is then aged in large piles so that it becomes a rich dark brown color.
The Mulch Company's mulch is 100% natural and organic. It is perfectly safe to handle and spread around your home. Insects are not attracted to mulch, since the bark is the tree's natural protection against insects.
A layer of mulch adds a professional touch to your landscape and will enhance the overall appearance of your property. Mulch is easy to work with because it is not like mud, you can mold it into whatever shape you prefer, and then dust it off your hands. It's a great way to spend time in your yard with your family.
An organic mulch! All mulch produced by The Mulch Company is organic.
Choose an organic mulch instead of an inorganic ground cover. An organic mulch decomposes over time into humus. Soil condition is improved by increased humus content, primarily by improving the moisture retaining capacity of your soil. Organic mulches also improve soil structure, making soils less compact and more productive through improved aeration.
Inorganic ground covers such as lava rock, pea gravel, shredded tires or crushed bricks do not insulate your plants from cold or heat, and do not enrich the soil, as an organic mulch does.
An aged mulch. Aged, well composted mulch is dark brown in color.
The Mulch Company ages the raw material and other natural ingredients in our mulch so that you spread properly composted material around your plants. All the material we use is aged naturally using only a proper balance of heat, air and water content in the material. Absolutely no chemicals are used in the aging process!
A pH balanced mulch. The level of acidity (pH) of soil and mulch greatly determines the growth rate and performance of plants. Although most plants can survive over a wide range of pH readings (4 to 8 on a scale of 0 to 14), the optimum range is 6 to 7.
Hardwood Mulch and Midnight Mulch™ fall within the optimum level of acidity of 6 to 7, which is slightly acid.
Pine Bark Mulch falls within the strongly acid range of 4 to 5. A pH reading of 5 is ten times more acidic than a pH reading of 6, and one hundred times more acidic than a pH reading of 7! We strongly recommend that you only use Pine Bark Mulch on acid loving plants.
For moisture control. In dry periods mulch retains moisture around plants' root systems, and helps hold down costly water bills.
For weed control. In the growing season, a layer of mulch helps prevent germination or weeds.
For insulation. During cold weather mulch acts as a protective blanket for plants, moderating severe temperature changes which can damage plant root systems.
For soil enrichment. As mulch decomposes it enriches the soil with natural organic matter, and enhances the ability of the soil to retain moisture.
We recommend that mulch be spread about 4 inches deep.
First prepare the area: Remove weeds and grasses by hand. Use herbicides only in difficult cases such as Bermuda grass but be sure to follow the manufacturers instructions!
Then figure how many cubic yards of mulch you need: measure the square footage on the ground that you plan to cover with mulch (length multiplied by width). Divide the square footage by 80. This converts you into cubic yards.
Then spread the mulch: Use a pitchfork rather than a shovel to spread the mulch evenly around your plants. Mulch around trees should look like a donut, with the trunk in the donut hole. Definitely don't heap mulch around the trunk of a tree or plant. It will cause the outer layer of bark on the tree to rot and leave your plants vulnerable to any number of diseases and insects. The really keen gardeners finish off the job by hand, smoothing the mulch and molding the edges to give a "raised bed" effect.
Then take care of it during the year: Remember that your mulch is a natural organic product and it will weather some from exposure to rain and sun. But only the top quarter inch or so will fade. The mulch just below the surface of the weathered mulch is still dark! Simply rake off the top layer with a leaf rake and you will have a fresh look all over! Or, if you prefer, turn the top layer into the rest of the mulch and you will get the same fresh appearance.
Order Now online! We will deliver to your home. The Mulch Company will deliver tomorrow or the next day at the latest. And you don't even have to be at home when the mulch is delivered. Just mark the spot where you want the mulch dumped. The marker is a newspaper with a brick on top of it. The Mulch Company driver will dump your mulch on top of the marker you leave. Please remember to explain clearly on the order form where you are going to place the marker.
Most homes use between 5 and 15 cubic yards. If you need less than The Mulch Company's minimum delivery of 5 cubic yards, you can pick up 1 yard or more in your truck at one of The Mulch Company's convenient locations.