|
A New Outdoor Craft Idea for All Ages
For years our family has enjoyed vactioning and traveling across this great country and one thing that has always drawn our attention is the beautiful landscaping done by others.
Usually, the one attraction that sets apart the ones we find more...
Gardening For Birds
Creating the perfect garden for birds begins by understanding the needs of birds. Birds, as with other wildlife, require certain elements in the garden to survive. These elements include: Food Water Shelter Planting for birds can add beauty as...
Spring into Lawn Mowing
Ahh. Spring arrives with the beautiful twittering of birds preparing their nests for the unborn. What - can't hear them? The low rumble of lawn mowers not only drowns out natures' symphony, but also disturbs skittish wildlife and sleepy neighbors....
Weed Control Facts: Winning the Battle of the Weeds
You are welcome to use this article on your website or in your newsletter as long as you reprint it as is, including the contact information at the end. Website URLs must be active links. You are welcome to use this article with an affiliate link, ...
Winterizing Tips for your Lawn and Garden
Your outdoor plants have worked hard for you all summer, making your yard a place you're proud to call home. Properly winterizing your lawn and garden is an important step toward healthy soil, lush grass, and happy plants next year. Remember to take...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Concerning Mulch - PART ONE
Copyright © 2005 Tammy Clayton
"I don’t want any weeds to have to deal with."
The infamous statement uttered by millions. That is a pretty tall order to attempt to fill. Over the years, I have discovered that many people believe the fallacy that rock mulch over plastic or landscape cloth will render their planting free of weeds forever and ever. Covering up the soil equals no weeds?
In truth this is an absolutely not possible. After fighting weeds on hundreds of acres over decades of weeks, I can assure you it is just not possible. Nothing is sure in life but weeds and taxes. It is best to Accept the fact that one will have to deal with them after a while.
That plastic will begin to deteriorate and poke up through the mulch looking very unsightly. Don’t try to remove it after a few years either, it will fall all apart and be partly under the dirt and partly stuck in the root systems of the maturing shrubs. You’ll not be able to till up parts of the bed for a new look without angst over the rototiller being all bound up with strips of plastic and rocks wedged tightly between the tines.
Landscape plastic will only delay the weeds and cause another series of problems. It is commonly known that plastic repels water. That little hole left in the plastic sheeting around the base of your shrub or tree is not going to allow enough water to pass through to the roots at all. The fuller the leaf canopy, the less water will drip down through to the center instead the majority of the moisture will run off around the drip line. Plastic does not breathe either and healthy roots need air along with their water for plants to be healthy and flourish.
Stone mulch will either make the roots hotter or colder, depending on the weather as stone radiates heat and cold. The reason for mulch to be applied is to insulate the root system from extremes and help retain moisture longer to promote the health of the plants. Those plants that need air to the roots will not thrive under plastic and stone where insufficient air makes them weak and sickly.
While stone may look good to some — it is very costly and dirt will still collect on the top of the weed barrier. As soon as things start going to seed around the protected area,
there will be weeds everywhere in the stone rooting into that thin layer of deposited soil on top of the plastic. It is inevitable that weed roots beneath that plastic will creep around under it searching for an escape from the dark. These undercover and unwanted roots will never be found to eradicate, making them a constant problem to try and get rid of.
Landscape cloth is better in that it allows consistent moisture and some airflow to roots, but it does let weeds pop through the small holes in the weave. Once you have a weed rooted through the fabric, you will never be able to pull the roots. These contrived barriers in the long run will only make the installation more costly and a false belief that you will now be weed-free. Landscape cloth has beneficial applications in some situations and is best left to control erosion and not weeds.
If you simply must have mulch, the best choice for your shrub and tree beds is shredded hardwood or cedar bark mulch. Shredded bark mulches are fuzzy along the edges causing them to mat down and knit together after a good rain to stop erosion of loose soil to a great extent. Wood mulch encourages bugs to take up residence in it as deteriorating wood is their natural habitat. This will add the cost and need to spray chemicals on the mulch to control bugs that would never have moved in plain soil. Many is the horticultural professional who will not apply mulch to their planting beds for several reasons beginning with the insects it attracts. Secondly, they are aware that over time wood mulch decomposes to be soil again, thereby raising the soil level around the plants in the bed (causing future health problems with plants such as trees). Thirdly, because it makes it more difficult to weed the bed.
--------------------
For great Gardening tips and articles, visit: http://www.LostInTheFlowers.com
About the Author
Raised by a highly respected & successful landscape contractor in the metro Detroit area, Clayton wanted a career in anything but landscaping! Now an award-winning landscape designer, Clayton runs Flowerville Farms, a mail-order nursery in Michigan. Read more at LostInTheFlowers.com.
|
|
|
|
|
Landscaping Ideas | Landscape Design | Landscaping Pictures |
Information for homeowners on hardscape and softscape elements in landscape design. Includes a chat room and forum. |
landscaping.about.com |
  |
Gardening - Landscaping |
Design a landscape that works best with your yard, deck and home. |
www.homeandfamilynetwork.com |
  |
Gardening |
Find all the information you need to plan and design a beautiful garden for your landscape. Get zone maps, garden plans and the plant and flower index to ... |
www.homeandfamilynetwork.com |
  |
Landscaping - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
Landscaping refers to any activity that modifies the visible features of an ... Landscaping also refers to building a model landscape such as model train ... |
en.wikipedia.org |
  |
Landscape architecture - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
The activities of a landscape architect can range from the creation of ... Landscape designers, like garden designers, design all types of planting and ... |
en.wikipedia.org |
  |
Gardening Landscaping & Design - Landscape Gardening for Patios ... |
Learn more about landscape gardening and design for patios and decks from Home & Garden Television. |
www.hgtv.com |
  |
EERE Consumer's Guide: Landscaping |
On average, landscaping for energy efficiency provides enough energy savings ... Use energy-efficient landscaping strategies based on your regional climate. ... |
www.eere.energy.gov |
  |
Planning the Home Landscape |
Advice and tips for planning, preparing, and constructing a new landscape area. |
aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu |
  |
Landscaping Ideas, Designs, Pictures and Plans for the Home. |
Respond?s community provides landscaping ideas for the home. Find landscaping designs, pictures and plans to help you design the best landscape for your ... |
landscaping.respond.com |
  |
Landscape Design Services and Earth-Friendly Garden Products for ... |
Landscaping resource for the do-it-yourself homeowner featuring interactive online landscape design. |
clearwaterlandscapes.com |
  |
Landscaping & Design |
Turn your yard into a spectacular showpiece, whether you're planning all-new landscaping or hoping to update a flower bed. |
www.bhg.com |
  |
Great Lakes Environment: Greenacres-Green Landscaping |
A key source of Great Lakes environmental information. |
www.epa.gov |
  |
Landscaping - Outdoors - homesite.com.au |
Landscaping - homesite.com.au, Australia’s No.1 home and garden web site. |
www.homesite.com.au |
  |
H2ouse.org : Tour : Landscaping |
Attractive gardens and landscape add to the value of your home and bring ... Upgrade the look of your landscape by learning the how-to's of proper lawn care ... |
www.h2ouse.org |
  |
Landscapers | Landscaping |
Get matched to local Landscape, Decks and Fences contractors for your home improvement projects. ServiceMagic's network of Landscape, Decks and Fences ... |
www.servicemagic.com |
  |
Complete Landscape Design for Do It Yourselfers |
Do it yourself tips, tricks, guidelines, and resources for home landscape design. |
www.the-landscape-design-site.com |
  |
Landscaping Ideas | 2854 + Landscaping Pictures |
Landscaping Ideas To Make Your Homes Beautiful. ... Click here to access all 4290+ landscaping photos, and get instant access to valuable savings coupons to ... |
www.landscapingideasonline.com |
  |
Landscaping for Energy Efficiency |
Are you looking for cost-effective yet eye-pleasing ways to lower your energy bills? Planting trees, shrubs, vines, grasses, and hedges could be the answer. |
www.pioneerthinking.com |
  |
Edible Landscaping Online |
Only the most productive disease resistant varieties make it onto the approved list here at Edible Landscaping. Our plants are guaranteed to arrive healthy ... |
www.ediblelandscaping.com |
  |
Free Landscaping Ideas, Landscapes, Front Yard, Garden Landscaping |
Landscaping ideas that transform your boring, unattractive yard into the picture perfect oasis you've always dreamed of. Find out h... |
www.greatlandscapingideas.com |
  |