Clay soil is a difficult soil to work with, but it does have its positive attributes. If your backyard or portion of land you plan to garden in has clay soil, don’t dismiss it and give up outright. Know that clay soil is fertile and rich in minerals, can hold water and essential nutrients well, and buffers against soil acidification. It also needs little or no fertilisers. Instead, soil nutrition improves when mulch is added. The best mulch to use for clay soil is wood chips, bark mulches (such as cypress mulch), and hulls/shells.

When maintaining any garden or landscaping, one of the most important tasks to have healthy plants is to apply mulch. The use of organic mulch, such as cypress mulch in gardens, raises the question of whether mulch should be removed to make way for a fresh layer. Although the resounding answer is a “no,” there are a few exceptions.

Should last year’s mulch be removed?

Garden and landscape experts will tell you that it’s unnecessary to remove last year’s organic mulch. Laid down in any garden, mulch is supposed to break down gradually and add beneficial nutrients and matter to the soil. Thus, the longer mulch lasts, the more nutrients go into the soil. It’s unnecessary to change mulch every year, and this only accrues needless expense.

What you can do each spring is to check if the mulch is always at two inches high with ornamental or vegetable gardens, and three inches over shrubs and around trees. The mulch can be left alone so long as the levels remain. If the levels drop down to less than an inch, you can top off with a new layer of mulch to keep the two to three inches.

Fluff the mulch

On rare occasions, some mulch can knit together and start to look like mat-shredded hardwood. Matted mulch can hinder rain and sunlight from making it through the soil and feeding the plant roots. Removal is not the answer; fluff the mulch using a rake or cultivator and add a little more of the same mulch on top. 

If the matted mulch has developed a fungus or mould and you don’t like using fungicides, you can remove the top layer of the old mulch and top it off with a new layer. Or try using a new mulch for the top layer.

Laying rocks with mulch

If the mulch you’re using is prone to moulds or fungi, remove all the old mulch from the garden. Lay a small mixture of large and small rocks around the garden. You can arrange them decoratively so they look nice. Plant the rocks halfway into the soil so they don’t move around when the plants are watered or during strong winds. After planting the rocks, lay a two-inch layer of a different kind of mulch in the garden and around the rocks. Don’t cover the rocks. The change of mulch plus the rocks will prevent further fungi and moulds from growing back.

Labrador Landscape Supplies is your reliable mulch supplier

Cypress mulch and other mulch and bark are popular materials for gardens and landscapes. At Labrador Landscape Supplies we provide a large variety of mulches, barks, pebbles and rocks, soils and compost, and other materials. We deliver for bulk purchases. For your enquiries or to view our materials, visit http://landscape-supply.com.au/. You can also call us on 07 5537 2841.

Cypress mulch comes from, obviously, cypress trees. But people often make the mistake of referring to all kinds of conifers as cypress. You see, the cypress belongs only to the genus Cupressus, and this is considered the true cypress tree. Other genera like the Taxodium or Glyptostrobus, though loosely called swamp cypresses, are not true cypress trees.

Cypress history

Although most popular cypress trees are known in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, many cypress trees also grow in the Mediterranean, North Africa, and in countries around the Persian Gulf. Ancient Egyptians used cypress wood as mummy cases because of their durability. Ancient Greeks used cypress wood to create urns to store the ashes of those who died in battle.

Mulch is important for outdoor plants. But container plants can also benefit from a little layer of mulch. Certain types of mulch such as grass clippings, pine needles, and cypress mulch will decompose and release nutrients into the soil. The mulch will also protect the plant’s roots from the sun and promote water retention.

Adding a small layer of mulch to your container plants can be an easy way to keep them healthy while being aesthetically appealing. Mulching is also known to conserve soil moisture and to encourage new and healthy growth with plants that have wilting stems.

There is no arguing that mulching around shrubs is an excellent way to keep these plants healthy. After all, mulch conserves soil moisture, suppresses seeds of weeds, and protects the lower stems of shrubs. In fact, cypress mulch seems to work best with shrubs. However, mulching takes a little understanding in order to work well with plants. 

For existing shrubs

For coarse mulching materials such as bark or cypress, make the depth only two to three inches. Add only as much to maintain the regular depth after deterioration. For example, if the mulch applied a couple of years beforehand has deteriorated to about an inch, add only an inch or two of the same mulch. Make sure to remove all weeds, rocks, and stones from the soil before applying the mulch.

People plant shrubs to make hedges around their house. These hedges have varied purposes, such as beautification, an attractive façade to cover an unattractive fence, creating privacy, or serving as a fence or screen. Often, the purpose or landscape determines what type of shrub or hedge will be planted, whether it’s just for ornamental purposes or to serve as a façade, fence, or screen. You can also use cypress mulch underneath to make the hedges more attractive and keep the shrubs healthy.

Planting and caring for hedges

Before selecting a shrub for your hedge, you need to remember these three things:

• On average, plant the shrubs one metre apart. It can be closer if the hedge is for ornamental purposes. Plant in a trench rather than holes and add some fertiliser and extra water.
• Prune the shrub tips often to get a bushy and dense hedge. Prune both tops and sides.
• Even for privacy or fence screens, the best height for hedges is one where you can reach to prune without a ladder.

Mulch is a by-product of trees that is spread over the soil in a garden. Mulch, such as tea tree mulch or cypress mulch, can do a lot for a garden, such as regulating the soil’s temperature, keeping plant roots cool during the hot months, and warm in winter. Mulch can also lock in moisture into the soil, prevent weeds from sprouting, and enriches the soil with nutrients.

What is tea tree mulch?

Tea tree mulch is a by-product of tea tree farming during the process of extracting tea tree oil from the Melaleuca plant. The mulch is the residue after the oil has been extracted. Tea tree mulch helps facilitate the growth of a healthy garden. It is slow to break down and has a pleasant aroma that makes it ideal for any residential landscaping project. Tea tree mulch is very much beneficial for ornamental gardens.

Because of Covid-19 restrictions, people all over the world have taken up hobbies that keep them occupied while they are quarantining and socially distancing from friends and family. This includes horticulture. If you have even a tiny space to grow plants, you can do this little hobby while staying safe at home and keeping a peaceful mindset with all that is going on in the outside world. Aside from monsteras, philodendrons, pothoses, alocasias, and other plants that have grown (pun intended) quite famous these days, you might also want to add some fungi into the mix. Why mushrooms, you ask? Like most plants, they play an integral part in our ecosystem. Plus, the edible ones are packed with protein and vitamins, which could be an excellent substitute for meat if you are thinking of eating less. Start your mushroom farming journey here. Don’t forget to get in touch with Labrador Landscape Supplies for cypress mulch, sand, soil, and other gardening and landscaping needs.