Much Ado About Mulch: Everything Property Owners Need To Know In Fort Lauderdale, Florida
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Mulch was nature’s idea way before it became man’s. Fallen leaves, pine needles, rotting wood and vegetation, rotting flowers, ripe fruit, rocks rising towards the surface of the earth – the ecosystem organically produces and disperses “mulch,” incorporating a protective coating towards the ground.
Learning the different types of mulch and understanding how well to use them will enable you to assist Mother Nature and effortlessly beautify your lawn and garden.
Why Should You Mulch?
Mulching your soil could just be the most significant thing you can do for your property in Fort Lauderdale, FL – not only for the planet itself, 
but also for anything growing there. When used correctly, mulch offers a multitude of benefits to homeowners. All mulches will minimize soil moisture evaporation, regulate soil temperature and discourage weeds. Depending on the kind, a few mulches may do even more.
Mulch helps prevent moisture loss. No matter what kind of mulch is chosen, mulched soil will retain about twice as much moisture as bare soil. Not only will it need to be watered less, but when it’s watered it will remain damp much longer.
Mulch keeps soil cool in warm weather and warm in cold weather (by as much as 13 degrees as reported by Cornell University’s Horticulture Diagnostic Laboratory). This helps protect plant life, especially in areas with extreme temperatures.
Mulch decreases weed growth, given that the material used is free of weeds and seeds, and that the mulch is strong enough to clutter any germinating or flourishing weeds.
Mulch fights topsoil degradation. When water droplets strike the ground, the impact produces small particles to emerge and scatter. This can lead to soil crusting – which impedes water absorption – and soil erosion.
Mulch aids in preventing soil-borne diseases. The same soil splashing that results in crusting and erosion can also expose plants to pollutants in the soil.
Mulch combats soil compression. This encourages root growth, increases the soil’s oxygen content, and helps water movement. Mulched plants actually grow more (not just deeper) roots.
Organic mulches can improve soil structure. As the mulch decays, it becomes topsoil and adds nutrients in order to improve the dirt.
Mulch protects trees and shrubs from possible damage caused by lawn equipment.
Mulches liven up the residential property, adding color and texture.
Numerous Kinds of Mulch
Mulches come into two general classifications: organic – meaning made from living, or once living, material – and inorganic. What’s the difference for your lawn? For one thing, any organic mulch might break down and enrich the soil in the process. Inorganic mulches, on the other hand, will last much longer. You don’t have to spend extra time and money to replace it.
To figure out which mulch is perfect for you, take into consideration each kind’s qualities, what you hope to achieve and where you intend to use it.
Organic Mulches
On top of enriching the soil, organic mulch has another point in its favor: It lures and harbors some helpful organisms. Ground spiders, worms and ants, amongst others, nest in the material and prey on the larvae and eggs of other bugs contained in the ground below.
Some organic mulch options (but definitely not all) include:
Pine Bark: A popular mulching option, pine bark comes in nuggets, chips or shredded form. Finer-textured materials need replacing sooner, but also add nutrients more quickly. Acid-loving flowers such as azaleas, rhododendrons, camellias as well as gardenias benefit from pine’s level of acidity. However, some insects, including termites, are fascinated with pine, so avoid it in areas where they are a worry.
Hardwood: Consider hardwood mulch aas a substituteto pine bark – especially around roses. Select from either wood chips or shredded hardwood forms. As with pine bark, though, harmful termites view hardwood as a premium feast. Pick another mulch in areas where they’re a problem.
Pine Needles: As with pine bark mulch, pine needles lend a slight acidity to the soil. Even better if you could simply clear up your own needles and use them, to save money.
Sawdust: Sawdust also lends acidity to the soil. Watch for compression and reapply every spring season.
Straw: Forget hay as mulch: It’s often full of seeds and weeds. Straw, on the other hand, is cheap and very easy to find. However, it attracts rodents, can be ugly and needs replenishing yearly. Try to use straw to cover freshly seeded lawns, to mulch a vegetable garden or strawberry patch, or to winterize shrubs.
Leaves or Grass: For another “do-it-yourself” mulch, try mown grass. Let the grass dry a little, in order to avoid matting, before building the mulch up to around 2 inches in depth. Better yet, shred leaves coarsely (you can mow them to achieve this) and spread in a layer of 2 to 3 inches. As the leaves decay, simply add more to renew your mulch. (Allowing the leaves to partially decay before using them – creating something known as “leaf mold” – makes for even healthier mulch that adds nitrogen, humus and other nutrients to the soil.)
Looking to buy something organic that’s not described in these suggestions? Check local home improvement stores and area manufacturers. Depending on what grows near you, you might have other alternatives such as cocoa bean hulls, pecan shells, buckwheat or cottonseed. Even try perennial ground covers like ivy, mondo grass, periwinkle or pachysandra. Although not technically mulches, these plants still function as one.
Inorganic Mulches
While inorganic mulch products will not add nutrition to the soil, they will still fight erosion, maintain ground moisture, moderate soil 
temperature and provide other essential mulching features. They also have one big advantage over organic mulches: They’re long lasting. Some more popular choices include:
Rocks: Perhaps the most commonly used inorganic mulch, rocks come in three sizes: pebbles, gravel and stone. Use rocks in permanent areas where you do not plan to replant. Plan to use about one inch to control weeds. Try to avoid spreading limestone around acid-loving plants, as limestone raises the pH in the soil.
Ground rubber from tires: The brand new kid on the block, as they say, ground rubber is a great way to recycle old tires and make a useful mulch. In addition to coming in black (which can build up heat and potentially affect plants), rubber mulch is sometimes dyed interesting colors like red, yellow and blue. Rubber is also a kid-friendly product.
Black plastic sheeting: If function counts much more than beauty in the area you plan to mulch, look into using black polyethylene sheeting, or black plastic. It’s perfect for avoiding weeds and keeping moisture. The disadvantage is that it will not let new moisture get to the ground, either. Cutting holes in the plastic, or purchasing plastic sheeting specially formulated for lawn and garden use featuring pre-made holes, resolves this. Use sheeting to cover up vegetable seeds (making it possible to plant sooner) or cover them with a piece of chips, stone or other mulch to produce a hidden weed barrier. For a cheaper (and perhaps shorter-lived) alternative, use black plastic garbage bags. Stay away from clear plastic, which lets sunlight in to nourish the weeds.
Landscape cloth: Another option, though also unattractive, landscape cloth functions much like black plastic. Spread some chips, stone, or other mulching material over the cloth to enhance the appearance. The greatest advantage of using landscape cloth instead of plastic is that it permits air and moisture to pass through.
More Wonderful Mulching Tips
In addition to organic or inorganic, mulches could be labeled as summer or winter. So-called winter mulches (such as straw, leaves and pine needles) are often spread in late fall to isolate woody plants for the winter. Wait until the soil has cooled off, but isn’t yet frozen, for best outcomes. Summer mulches, on the other hand, get applied in springtime as soon as the soil begins to heat up. Spreading mulch too soon could actually hold the cold in the soil.
When working with new plants, trees or shrubs, spread the mulch after you have them in the ground for best results.
Grade your soil, as appropriate, before spreading out mulch. Not only will water pool in low spots (triggering organic mulches there to decay quicker), but when applying mulch, the natural tendency is to level it out. If the ground isn’t graded first, this tends to result in thicker and thinner locations, which lessens the mulch’s efficiency.
Weed before mulching, and apply a pre-emergent herbicide, if preferred. Keep mulch a number of inches away from wood stems and trunks to prevent decay. Work old mulch into the soil prior to spreading new material, to enhance the soil even further.
How much mulch should you use? In general, the larger the pieces, the deeper the mulch should always be. A couple of inches of fine pebbles or shredded bark, for instance, is comparable to 3 or 4 inches of limestone or wood pellets.
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Irene Medina, Realtor, and The Medina Real Estate Group have vast experience in marketing of properties extensively worldwide via the internet. They sell their listings in record time and for top dollar. They have received many recommendations from their extremely satisfied customers. Realtor Irene and The Medina Real Estate Group service, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale, Parkland, Davie, Weston, Tamarac, Broward County and South Palm Beach. She has been a Silver medal winner with Keller Williams for the past 3 years. She is a Certified Residential Specialist, CRS, Certified Distressed Property Expert, CDPE, she is also a Graduate of the Realtor Institute, GRI. She also holds the following designations, SFR, CHS, TRC and is working on her Commercial Real Estate accreditation.
Irene Medina of The Medina Real Estate Group from Keller Williams Realty has become a certified member ofGiveback Homes Organization. The Giveback Homes model is simple; for every home members of our network buy or sell, we help build a home for a family in need. Through the partnership between Giveback Homes and Habitat for Humanity, 100 percent of member donations go directly to building projects in developing countries in Central America and assisting with build days in the United States. Giveback Homes is dedicated to creating a sustainable relationship between real estate professionals, home-buyers, home-sellers, and communities in need throughout the world. Our goal is create social change through the act of buying or selling a home. “I feel very honored to be a part of such a wonderful organization!” said Irene Medina of The Medina Real Estate Group. My goal is to build a home a year in Nicaragua and to help build homes in New York City, which is where I am originally from.” For every home they help sell, they will donate money to help build a home for a family in need.
IreneMedina.Realtor has been a Florida resident for the past 22 years and has been a Broward County resident for 21 years. She is originally from Brooklyn, New York and her parents are from Puerto Rico. She lives in Fort Lauderdale with her husband, Jason, 3 daughters, Golden Retriever (Rosie), Corgie (Cinnamon) and 3 cats!
Realtor Irene and The Medina Real Estate Group will “Stand by YOU Every Step of the Way!” from start to finish.
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