What’s the deal with Mulch?

A trip to any garden center this summer will present you with many different options for mulch in your garden. They range from cypress and cedar to pine mulch and nuggets, now there is red and brown dyed, cocoa shells and even rubber. Yes, rubber mulch! And don’t forget all the different choices of rock mulch. So how do you know which one is best? Of course personal preference will play somewhat of a role in which product you will choose, as will the size of the garden and of course your budget. But what is the best for the plants? Obviously natural products (wood mulch, pine mulch, etc.) are better for the plants. They retain moisture to help keep plants cool and wet, and they break down to improve the soil. Rock and rubber mulches do not retain moisture and can actually absorb heat and be detrimental to plant health. But where in nature do you see wood chips naturally occurring at the base of a tree, shrub or perennial. You don’t. In a forest or wooded area you may see leaf litter or pine needles carpeting the ground.

As a matter of my personal preference, I detest both rock and rubber mulches and any mulch that has been dyed. With rock mulch landscape fabric is generally used, as is some type of edging (which can stretch a budget thin pretty quickly). Not to mention it is expensive, and heavy, and hard to expand or change a bed, or add any new plants in the future. It also restricts plants from spreading to cover the ground. In my garden it is my intention that one day the mulch will not even be seen, as the plants will grow to cover it up. Don’t even get me started on rubber mulch, especially the colored ones. Sure these products might be appropriate for a playground setting – but in a garden? In my opinion, absolutely unacceptable, and at $10-15 a bag, who can afford any plants?

Still the question remains; what is the best mulch? For me, it is a natural product which will end up benefiting my plants and soil. Sure, I may have to replenish it each year, but it’s worth the investment.

UPDATE, April 24, 2008: Through my sitemeter I am noticing that there are many people searching for rubber mulch. My recommendation is DON'T USE IT. It has no benefits for the plants or soil, it will NEVER break down. It does not retain water to keep roots cool and moist. My suggestion is to use a natural, shredded wood product - that means no dye. In gardens with dyed mulch (red or black) that is what the eye is drawn to...why would you want the mulch to be the main focus of your garden??