.jpg)
In my 21 years of serving North Florida Landscapes, I believe that Pine Straw is the most versatile and all around best mulch. Here is a short list of my mulch preferences.
1) Pine Straw - It's natural and sustainable. It has that nice brown color that allows the landscape colors to pop. It's one of the most affordable mulches and spreads pretty easy. It also feeds your plants as it breaks down through the year and the acidity helps to keep weeds out. It stays in place in heavy rains, but may need to have a layer added on top half way through the year to freshen up.
2) Pine Bark - I prefer the nuggets, between a one and two inches. They also come as pine bark fines, ground to almost a quarter inch, but breaks down quickly. And the most common bark comes as it came off the tree in large chunks. Bark has the same great nutrition features as straw but may last longer when laid at least 4" thick. It can be stirred through the year to look refreshed. It's more labor intensive to lay than straw, but not to bad. It does have the ability to float during heavy rains, especially when laid in low areas. Almost as sustainable as the straw.
3) Ground Hardwoods - Although most people think this is Cypress mulch, it isn't. However the color does a great job of disguising that this mulch is actually ground wood, tree debris, and everything in between. Usually ground and colored by the same people that you pay to dump your tree debris. It's sustainable as well, especially in areas where there is a lot of construction debris and/or storms like hurricanes. This mulch doesn't provide much nutrient content but can be colored to almost whatever you desire. It's heavier to lay for sure because of it's density. And the colors do stain anything they come in contact with.
4) Cypress Mulch - This used to be the most common in North FL. Thankfully we have figured out that Cypress trees grow around swamps and swamps are filters for the aquifer. Remove the trees, the swamps dry up, and we have problems. This mulch can still be found dyed or natural for a premium price. It lays very nice and smooth and doesn't usually float unless there is a major downpour. It doesn't provide any nutritional value to the plants. And is definitely not a sustainable or renewable source. Like the hardwoods, Cypress is h
eavier to lay for sure because of it's density. And the colors do stain anything they come in contact with.
5 Rock or Stone - While not really a mulch, rock is used quite often. It has a nice smooth look that can vary drastically in color. It's great if you do not want to have to re mulch each year. Just blow the leaves out and it look good. It provides no nutritional value, is very heavy and labor intensive to lay, and is the most expensive.
Comments