Pine Or Hardwood Mulch

In spite of the name hardwood mulches disintegrate quicker in the scene than cedar or pine bark mulch inferable from a higher cellulose content.

Pine or hardwood mulch.

It repels water more readily than most pine mulches and is more likely to be washed away in areas with heavy rainfall or flooding. The advantages of pine needles over mulch include. If the purpose of using a pine straw or mulch is to control the growth of weeds you should place a fabric or cloth underneath. This allows the absorption of nutrients while preventing weeds.

But so are most mulches. Hardwood mulch decomposes more slowly so it may not require two applications each year. When applying mulch or pine straw keep it below five inches. In fact cypress mulch is more acidic than hardwood mulch meaning that it can cause problems for plants that don t prefer acidic soil.

Pine mulch is made from the bark of pine trees. Pine needles are naturally acidic as they break down making them excellent for mulching around plants that prefer acidic soils azaleas rhododendrons camellias etc during heavy rain events pine needles tend to stay put and not wash away making them an excellent choice on slopes. Trees landscaping beds and gardens with the proper mulch fare better on windy days and hilly. Pine bark mulch makes a good mulch for mulching planting beds and it s also a great additive or can even be used as the base for a good potting mix.

While pine bark won t last as long as cedar bark it is also not as costly and offers the advantage of not compacting over time and nourishing the soil as it decomposes. If it is too thick it will no longer be effective and can do more harm than good to the plant. Organic mulches including pine bark and hardwood chips nourish the soil and plants as they decompose. This mulch comes in a variety of sizes ranging from small shreds to large nuggets.

Pine needles require little maintenance as it does not wash out of beds as mulches tend to thereby keeping your walkways cleaner. Despite the name hardwood mulches actually decompose faster in the landscape than cedar or pine bark mulch owing to a higher cellulose content. Pine bark mulch doesn t break down as quickly nor does it contain the nutrition that hardwood bark has but it s still a great mulch to use for growing and potting soil. It also comes in many sizes from shredded to large nuggets.

Hardwood mulch comes in a wide array of varieties and colors from hardwood to pine to cedar to cypress and then from warm red tones to rich browns to the deepest black.