Organic Mulches are used in bedding areas, especially around plants. Mulches are an integral part of a landscape for several reasons. First, mulch helps keep moisture in the ground around plantings. It is very important for new plantings, because new plants do not have very large root structures from which to draw water. Second, mulch helps keep undesirable weeds under control. It does not keep weeds out completely since weed seeds can germinate in the mulch, or over a period of time the weeds can grow through, but it does help. Third, mulches are used to dress up areas.

Certain types of organic mulches are more common depending on what part of the country you live in. In Southwest Michigan the number one mulch is hardwood bark, cedar being the next most common, followed up by pine bark and then cypress. Artificially colored mulches have also become quite popular in the past few years. The biggest factor that leads to prevalence of use is availability and therefore pricing. If you don't have hardwood trees in your area you are less likely to have hardwood mulch in your beds. If you have lots of pine trees in your area but they are not being harvested, you are less likely to have pine bark in your beds. If you live in the desert, organic mulch is going to be expensive - I'm guessing you probably have some sort of stone mulch.

A word about weed barrier use under organic mulches - we don't recommend it! In Michigan property owners tend to mulch each spring. As the organic mulch settles and decays, the unsightly weed barrier may come to the surface. Also, the weed seeds can germinate in the material above the weed barrier especially after a few cycles of mulch decay and replenishment.

Hardwood Shredded Mulch:

Hardwood Shredded Mulch is the most commonly used mulch in our area. It comes from hardwood sawmills that run huge logs through a bark stripper. The head of the stripper floats along the log and shreds the bark off to reveal a naked log. The logs are thereby rough-cut and sent off to make cabinets, tables, etc. The bark is distributed and used as mulch. The more actual bark content, the higher the quality.

Hardwood Shredded Mulch can vary in color and size depending on the dominant type of tree bark, what time of the year it is produced, whether it is re-ground, and what size it is re-ground into. Bark produced during the summer usually needs to be re-ground because the bark tends to come off the tree in larger strips (something to do with sap and how attached the bark is to the wood). In general the mulch is comprised of a blend of strips of bark 1/4" to 1/2" in width and 1 or more inches long, and fines. The finer the mulch the more effective it is - but it does therefore decay more quickly, so the sizing is a trade off.

Cedar Shredded Mulch:

Cedar Shredded Mulch comes from somewhat the same process as the hardwood mulch. Most of the cedar delivered to SW Michigan comes from the Upper Peninsula. When delivered, cedar mulch has a slightly different appearance than hardwood bark. It most often includes a mixture of cedar bark and cedar chips. The bark part of it is stringy or hairy, the wood portion is generally a wood colored chip. Once it settles, it ends up looking somewhat similar to the hardwood shredded bark. It is more expensive than the hardwood or barkmulch because of the somewhat limited supply and the extra shipping costs.

One major benefit is that both cedar wood and cedar bark are naturally resistant to bug infestation. Another desirable feature is that the product tends to be very consistent in color and particle size. Purchasing hardwood bark can be a little more risky if you are very particular about your mulch. It is safer to go with cedar since it doesn't vary too much.

Barkfines:

Renewed Earth Barkfines is a virgin hardwood mulch that is ground, blended and screened to create a fine uniform mulch product. The sizing is about 1/2” minus and it is a medium brown color.

Pine Bark Nuggets:

Pine Bark Nuggets are a chunk type bark which are sourced from southern yellow pine. They have a reddish-brown color and are about 1-3" in size. They last much longer than the other types of mulch because of the sizing, and because pine bark has a waxy type substance (lignin) which makes it resist decay.

One way to freshen this mulch up after a season is to rake the chips around after they have weathered or discolored.

Red Colored Mulch:

Red Colored Mulch is a recycled product made from scrap pallets and virgin wood which is chip-ground into strips about ½" by 2-3 inches long and colored red. It does lose its color after about 2 years. A fresh annual cover keeps it looking very red. When it is dumped on the drive it will leave a red stain so plan accordingly if you have a nice cement driveway. A tarp will help keep some of the red off the drive, but makes shoveling more difficult. Rain will make it bleed so move it before the rains come. Dumping it in the grass will keep the drive clean but it is very difficult to get it all out of the lawn.

Playground Mulch:

This wood mulch is a recycled product which is processed in such a way as to create frayed ends. This product has three unique characteristics. First it is relatively soft for a shredded type wood product. This makes it nicer to play on. Second, it bonds together so it is stable. It is stable enough to meet government guidelines for wheelchair accessibility. The third characteristic is that it absorbs impacts well - it meets government standards representing a child falling from a given height on his/her head. This product absorbs the impact much better than sand or pea gravel so this is great spread over play areas.

Pine Bark Mulch:

Pine bark is consistently sized, medium fine, reground pine bark mulch which has a rich reddish brown color. Pine Bark tends to last a long time because of a relatively high content of lignin and low content of cellulose. Lignin is a waxy substance which decomposes slowly reducing to a fine material. Cellulose is the wood portion which decomposes more rapidly. The pine bark tends to keep its color better than most other organic type mulches. The reddish brown color and nice pine odor make for a very desirable high quality mulch. Another benefit of the pine bark is when it does break down the decomposed material is a very good soil conditioner.

Cypress Mulch:

Cypress trees and bark are known for their resistance to decay as compared to other wood and bark species. While it does have some desirable characteristics it is mostly harvested in the southern USA so prices tend to be on the high side as compared to other locally available mulches. It is rare to see it available in bulk in Michigan, typically the producers and resellers are more inclined to bag it down south and ship skids of bags to a wide range of outlets including gas stations and other frequented retail outlets. This product is available in 2 cubic foot bags only.

It is common to see smaller and smaller bags for sale at your local gas station. Buyer bewares! What might have been 15 bags last year might be 20 bags this year if you don’t check the labels for contents. Traditional bags have been 2 cubic feet, less than that and you will have to do the math to compare pricing with 2 cubic feet bags elsewhere.

Rubber Mulch Nugget:

Rubber mulch is sourced from tires. The tires are ground down by hand, machine or frozen then broken into pieces to create mulch. It comes in various forms and colors. Some production processes include using the part of the tire which includes the cords. This results in white cords being visible in the individual pieces. Other processes do not use as much of the casing or only the cap of the tire resulting in a less furry texture. This type of rubber product takes many forms. From fairly fine thin pieces to more traditional 1/2 inch minus nugget. I have not had much feedback yet to determine how well the colors hold up. KLS offers a nice brown nugget. It has a good appearance and feel; I suspect it will hold up better in the long run than some of the finer shredded material.

Summary

Especially if you are in an area which has had a history of termite activity, not all mulch can be used safely around a house foundation. If you have had problems with termites I would avoid using any natural mulch near your foundation.

Watch out for very inexpensive mulches made from ground-up trees and branches. These mulches may carry bugs and disease. They can also be a rather un-sightly combination of inconsistently ground up wood, sticks, leaves and bark. This type of mulch typically originates from a tree service company, and is okay to use on pathways and other areas well away from your house and desirable plantings.

You might want to reconsider using organic mulch if there is a history of termites on or near your property. The best organic mulch products to use around a house are products which contain more bark. If termites are a problem be careful of using any product with non-preserved wood in it near the house without a proper barrier between it and the house. Bark is a natural protectant for a tree and is much less susceptible to bugs and disease.

All natural bark and wood products will weather or turn gray over time. To keep these types of products looking their best it is necessary to freshen up your beds on an annual basis (including the Cedar). This also provides for good water retaining mulch layer.

The Barkfines is excellent mulch for healing in plants, and spreads easily. The Hardwood Shredded Mulch is a very nice product for the money. The Red Colored Mulch is very red (professional landscapers rarely us it). The Pine Bark Nuggets are very attractive and most cost effective due to its long-lasting attributes. The Cedar Shredded Mulch smells good, is very consistent, and is a safe bet if you are fussy, however costs more in the long run. The Cypress mulch is a good mulch but not practical for bigger landscapes since it is only available in bags. The rubber nuggets are a nice solution for play areas but it is still fairly costly per square foot. The Playground Mulch is the best choice of the organic mulches for playground areas, however consideration should be given to the fact that it is a 100% wood product, so it is more susceptible to termites.