Quality bark mulch is an incredibly important component when creating a healthy and lively garden or yard. Aside from looking attractive, there are a variety of benefits of mulch in flower beds and knowing these benefits can help to ensure that you select the best mulch material for your garden. At Valley Carriers, they provide hauling and delivery services for bulk materials such as bark mulch, sawdust, and gravel.
Reasons to Lay Mulch in Flower Beds
Mulch provides many benefits to gardens and flower beds. In most cases, mulch has a more pleasing look than bare soil and can come in a variety of colours. Some other reasons to lay mulch in flower beds include:
Mulch Protects Garden Soil and Plant Roots
Mulch provides a barrier between flower bed soil and the elements. This means that, during harsher seasons and weather conditions, plant roots will have an extra layer of insulation and armour. During heavy rainfall, soil can erode and wash away, leaving the roots exposed. Mulch provides a spongy, absorbent layer that keeps the soil in excellent condition so that flowers can grow without concern for receding soil or freezing roots.
Mulch Maintains Soil Moisture and Nutrients
By providing soil with a protective barrier, mulch also helps it to retain moisture. During the hot summer months, the sun can evaporate water before plants have had a chance to drink their fill, meaning that constant watering is often required. Mulch provides flower beds with a shield from the sun so that plants can properly absorb water from the soil before it evaporates. Organic mulch can also add nutrients to the soil as it decomposes as well as keep the nutrients already present in the soil from washing away.
Mulch Helps Control Weeds and Pests
Some types of bark mulch, such as cedar mulch, can act as a natural insect repellent, which can help to keep plants from being eaten; however, other types can act as an attractant for insects, so it is important to select the right mulch for your flower beds. Bark mulch can also help to control weed growth. By preventing sunlight from reaching the soil, mulch can limit the number of weeds that grow in a garden. When used with a layer of landscaping material, weed growth can be almost completely eliminated.
If you would like to learn more about the benefits of mulch in flower beds, or if you are interested in one of the other bulk materials that they provide or their hauling services, please contact Valley Carriers at 604-853-1075.