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MULCH IS MORE THAN A DECORATIVE GROUND COVER.
Mulch provides many benefits to your garden:
- Mulch insulates the garden and maintains even soil temperatures protecting plants from extreme heat or cold
- Mulch retains moisture, reduces evaporation, and saves water
- Mulch helps control erosion and runoff which rob plants of precious nutrients
- Mulch helps suppress weeds and wild grasses
- Mulch will decompose over time into soil amendment
- Of course, mulch does add a decorative appearance to the garden, containers and hanging baskets!
Mulch should generally be applied no thicker than 3 inches and should not be placed against the bark of trees or woody plants. Some mulch will compact after repeated rains. Compaction can lead to a dry condition under the mulch whereby the garden is deprived or water and oxygen. Occasional aeration or cultivation will help reduce compaction. The Original Mulch Block helps minimize this problem due to its high air porosity. This is attributed to the coconut husk’s coco peat, a homogenous material comprised of millions of capillary micro-sponges that provides for both high water absorption and aeration.
Mulch can be used year-round due to the benefits listed above. Mulch is typically applied in late spring as the soil begins to warm, and in fall before the weather turns. Applying too early in spring may postpone thawing of the soil and applying too late in fall may expose your plants to extreme cold.
 
Here are some helpful hints when preparing to mulch:
- Clean Garden Beds – remove dead leaves, weeds and trimmings from the garden beds.
- Kill Weeds – remove weeds and consider use of a weed killer 1 to 2 weeks prior to mulching.
- Trim Trees and Shrubs – trim trees, shrubs and bushes and clear the clippings before mulching.
- Cultivate Soil – with clean garden beds, cultivate compacted soil or existing mulch before applying new mulch
- Maintenance – check for compaction 30 days after applying mulch and cultivate to loosen mulch if needed.
- Fungus – if you detect fungus, remove it along with the surrounding mulch. Fungus is generally a sign that mulch has compacted and garden beds have dehydrated; cultivation and watering may be needed.
TYPES OF MULCH
The most common types of mulch are hardwood bark, cypress, pine and cedar, most of which are by-products of the timber industry. Some mulch producers will use waste wood (e.g. pallets) which may introduce foreign materials (e.g. metals, chemicals). The Original Mulch Block is comprised of coir, a natural fiber derived from the husk of the coconut. It is 100% organic and biodegradable. With its balanced pH, high moisture retention, and strong air porosity, The Original Mulch Block Premium Coir Mulch is suitable for all garden applications.
CLICK HERE for a comparison of the Original Mulch Block™ Premium Grade Coir Mulch to Traditional Wood-Based Mulch Products
 
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