Landscape Mulch Installation

Mulch can refer to wood chips, bark, gravel, or many other types of materials. It can also come in varieties of colors, shapes, and sizes. Each material has its own benefits and drawbacks. We can help you select the best material to use for landscape mulch installation in your landscape beds. We would love to consult you on the best option for your situation.

How to Calculate the Amount of Mulch you Need

Most landscape size bulk mulch materials are measured in cubic yards, tons, or scoops. If your supplier is selling by the scoop, it is important to know how large of a bucket they are using for each scoop. Buckets come in all sizes, from 1/8th of a yard or ton, up to 5+ tons per scoop. Some loader machines have scales built in to their hydraulic systems so that materials can be weighed as they are scooped. Other suppliers use conventional drive-on scales to measure your weight-in and weight-out. If you are using big box stores such as Lowe’s or Home Depot for your mulch materials, it may be beneficial to know that 1 cubic yard is equal to about 27 cubic feet. Now that you understand many of the nuances in measuring mulch, the key rule to remember is that 1 yard or ton of material typically covers 100 square feet, 2-3 inches thick. Since mulch and gravels are commonly desired to be 2-3 inches thick, this is a nice round measurement to make your calculations with. If this sounds like a lot of trouble, just give us a call and we can send you a free estimate to mulch your landscape beds and trees.

The Benefits of Mulch vs Gravel

All types of mulch, gravel or shredded tree materials, provide a safety net for plants and trees from lawn care equipment. They also provide a nice aesthetic appeal for the landscape. Gravel mulches can hide drainage systems and slow the flow of water across a landscape. Natural hardwood mulch from shredded tree material typically provides the most benefits for your landscape though. Hardwood mulches regulate the temperature in your landscape beds. This temperature regulation keeps plant roots cool in the hot summer and warm during the cold winter. Hardwood mulch also regulates moisture. When it’s hot and dry, hardwood mulches hold the much needed moisture for plant life. When it pours down rain, hardwood mulch wicks away excess water to keep plants from drowning.

As hardwood mulches decompose, it also adds important nutrients back into the soil. The decomposition of the hardwood mulch promotes an environment where beneficial microbes, bacteria, and fungi can thrive, increasing the overall viability of soil in the area. Some types of wood mulch, such as cedar, are even thought to repel several types of insects. Think of mulch as an insurance policy for your plant investments and us as your landscape agent and planner.

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