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Article: Facts-About-Mulch-For-The-Northeast-States
by William J. Hirst
Everything You Need to Know About Mulch
The "executive summary" or "abstract" is: Mulch is simply stuff you spread just 2 to 2-and-a-half inches thick, providing multiple benefits, covering the surface of the soil under and around plants, but not actually touching their stem or trunk.
Now, the long, detailed article is as follows: We could call spreading mulch, the act of "mulching." Among the many benefits of mulching are:
preventing weed growth
conserving moisture in the soil*
insulating the soil surface, cooling it in hot weather, yet also keeping it warm in cold weather *
reducing "heaving" (plant roots forced upward out of the soil) of small plants as a result of alternate freezing and thawing of the soil in autumn, winter and spring*
adding organic matter to soil if organic mulch materials are used (as well as the exercise and fresh air you get when you have to add to the mulch every few years)
reducing soil erosion on slopes
keeping the plants above cleaner, especially good for fruits, vegetables and flowers
adjusting the pH of the soil below the mulch (over time, that is)
improving the aesthetics of a landscape, adding to property values
* Research by the Weyerhaeuser Company (1969) indicated that two inches of bark mulch: 1) reduced moisture loss in summer by 21 percent, 2) reduced soil temperature in summer, down to as much as four inches deep in soil by 10 degrees F, and, 3) delayed soil temperature rise at the onset of winter from reaching freezing by two days compared to unmulched soil.
You know we do not sell mulch? But we do sell nursery stock at http://www.zone5trees.com or Highland Hill Farm. You can find more facts and help for your landscape there.
Bill raises trees, plants,and shrubs on his farms, many located in Pennsylvania. He also has ranches out west for arrowhead collecting, fossil collecting and hunting for meteorites and big game.
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