Matching Your Mulch to Your Pest-Repelling Needs

Mulch is a great way to improve the looks of your landscaping and help with problems that can arise from erosion or dry soil. It can also discourage weed growth. But did you realize that mulch can repel pests? Or that proper application of the mulch might affect the number of pests in your yard? Learn how to choose the right mulch for your location and gardening style, and mulch that might discourage pests, with these tips from Rock Products, Inc.

Should You Use Organic or Non-Organic Mulch?

Organic mulches consist of plant materials, such as dyed hardwood, shredded bark, straw, even cocoa shells. As they decompose, these materials help improve the microbial environment of the soil, encouraging beneficial bacteria, fungi, and insects that help plants thrive. Non-organic mulches include rocks and landscape stones, as well as human-made materials, such as plastics and engineered wood products. Both have a place in handling moisture problems and discouraging pests.

How Deep or Wide Should You Apply Mulch?

When spreading organic mulch, keep it at least six inches away from any foundation, window casement, or other place where your building meets the ground. Stones or other non-organic mulches can be placed in that six-inch area next to the foundation, however. Keeping plant-based mulching materials away from the house discourages insect pests, such as termites or ants, from using the mulch to gain access to buildings.

Organic mulch is best when applied to three or four inches deep. Any deeper, and the soil might not ever dry out, and this can lead to insect pests, such as mosquitoes and slugs, reproducing at greater rates in your yard. It can also badly affect plants if the soil is kept too wet. Fungal and bacterial diseases that badly affect plants may also become a problem. Proper mulching can help you maintain a balance in your yard, encouraging populations of insects that prey on garden pests, and maintaining moisture levels conducive to microbial health.

Young trees benefit from an area of three to five inches of bare soil around the trunk, and mature trees prefer eight to ten inches of bare soil, so don’t apply mulch right up against tree trunks. Mulch to the drip line of trees, if possible, so as your trees grow, so will the area that you spread mulch. When mulch is mounded too thickly, or too close to the trunk of a tree, an infestation of insects such as carpenter ants might become a problem. Mice and other rodents like to tunnel under thick mulch, favoring the inner bark on young trees.

What Are the Pest Problems at Your House?

Every landscape is different, so it’s important to observe the terrain and plants around your property and watch for any signs of infestation or disease. As you garden throughout the season, examine the weeds you pull and pay attention to which insects you see. The kinds of plants and trees that you grow, the level of moisture in your soil, all of these can be taken into consideration when choosing a mulch that helps the plants and insects that you want in your yard while discouraging pests and disease problems.

Confer with the Experienced Mulch Professionals at Rock Products, Inc.

Rock Products, Inc. has been providing mulches to property owners in the New Jersey area for many years. Share your observations about the pest problems in your yard and gardens with our team, and get some expert advice about which mulches will work best at your place. We can help you choose mulch that looks great, helps with pest problems, and helps your garden plants. Contact us today to learn more.