What mulch will cost less AND work best in my landscaping?
Mulch. “Mulch is simply a protective layer of a material that is spread on top of the soil. Mulches can either be organic -- such as grass clippings, straw, bark chips, and similar materials -- or inorganic -- such as stones, brick chips, and plastic.” according to the USDA’s website. Not what you would normally think of when you hear the word mulch, Right?! Most people think of the standard wood mulch that comes from ground up trees. Mulch is typically used in landscapes to create colorful planting beds. Colored mulch not only gives a pop of color in landscapes, but it also protects newly installed plants. Many people use mulch around trees to help protect them as well. Lat’s talk about a few mulches that can be found in typical Georgia landscapes.
Rubber Mulch
Lets start with Rubber mulch. Rubber mulch is made from recycled materials such as old tires. Rubber mulch is a great product that can last a long time… Like up to 10 years! You can get it in a variety of colors, and it considered to be safer than wood mulch in spaces like playgrounds where children play. Many commercial companies and municipalities use the rubber mulch. Rubber mulch is also heavier than wood mulch so it doesn’t tend to float as much when it rains or an area is flooded where the rubber mulch has been placed. Rubber mulch also doesn’t attract bugs. The downside to mulch is that the recycled material its made from is tires. Tires contain many chemicals and they have small metal fragments in them. These chemicals such as zinc, can leak into the soil and poison your plants. Now the rubber mulch used in playgrounds is usually not recycled tires, but is still synthetic, and can release microplastics. Rubber mulch can also become extremely hot during the summer months; Much hotter than typical wood mulch would. The color of rubber mulch can also fade, just like wood mulch. Rubber mulch is also much more expensive than other mulches. A bag from say Home Depot will cost you around $7.50, but only covers .8 cubic feet!
Bark Chips
Now lets discuss bark chips. Bark chips were made very popular back in the 1980’s landscapes. I remember as a kid playing on my playground at school and all we had was bark chips on the playground. The bark chips weren’t dyed any color, just looked like someone had shaved the trees in the area and left them all over the playground. Bark chips (not the colored bark chips,) are still used in gardening, just not as much as rubber or wood mulches. When growing say an edible garden, this type of mulch is ideal because it can extend the life of your plants by adding valuable nutrients to the soil. Like all mulches, it of course protects your plants, and helps to suppress weeds. Places like Ace Hardware and Home Depot also sell bark chips labeled as Pine Bark chips in bags that cover roughly 2 cubic feet. You’ll look to pay roughly $3.50-$4.00 a bag.
Wood or Natural Mulch
Finally you have wood mulch. Wood mulch, as mentioned before, comes form ground up trees. Trees are shredded so to speak, to create the wood mulch. Cypress mulch is what most people are familiar with when it comes wood or natural mulch. Wood mulch is then dyed to create different colors. Red mulch, black mulch, and brown mulch are the typical dyed wood mulches you’ll find. All natural or non dyed wood mulch is also an option. Wood mulch can be purchased per bag at any major Home Improvement Department Stores like Ace hardware, Tractor Supply, Home Depot, Lowes, etc. When Spring or Fall hits, they run specials such like 5 bags for $10. Bags sometimes can be easier to tote around your yard, and are not a heavy to tote in your vehicle. These bags typical cover 2 cubic feet, just like the rubber mulch.
So what mulch is best for my landscaping? Well, the fan favorite is still good old wood mulch! Yes, it has to be replaced periodically, but it is cheaper than other mulches. Wood mulch can be purchased online or in home improvement stores, but the cheapest wood mulch comes from buying in bulk! How much mulch do you need? Check out our material calculator to see how much mulch you may actually need: https://www.northeastgahauling.com/mulch-calculator.
If you are wanting to do a midsize to large mulching project, chances are you are going to need A LOT of bagged mulch. If this is the case, just get your mulch DELIVERED! Having bulk mulch delivered not only saves you time and gas, but it saves you wear and tear on your vehicle. If you have a car or SUV, this also saves the hassle of having to clean your vehicle afterwards! Who can deliver mulch near me? Northeast Georgia Trucking & Grading, LLC can! Northeast Georgia Trucking & Grading, LLC hauls and delivers mulch in Loganville, Snellville, Grayson, and surrounding cities. We also have a location in Greensboro, so Northeast Georgia Trucking & Grading can deliver mulch in Eatonton, Madison, and those surrounding cities too! Don’t want to install your mulch after it’s delivered? Northeast Georgia Trucking & Grading can install your mulch for you as well! Got more mulch questions? Give us a call and let us help solve your mulching needs. We service both residential, commercial, and municipality mulch clients.