In this week’s discussion of mulch, you will again notice our bias toward mulches made with Pine products, since they offer great beauty throughout the life of the mulch while creating the healthiest environment for plants. Today we will present another of our favorites:

PINE BARK MULCH

Pros:
Appearance – The striking red color of pine bark mulch slowly fades to a more neutral brown and provides a stunning contrast to the green foliage of plants.
Weed Free – Pine bark, like pine straw, doesn’t generate a weed-friendly habitat.
Mold Free – The nature of Pine bark decomposition inhibits the growth of molds and funguses.
Permeable – Pine bark is a very loose mulch. This allows the mulch to remain water permeable throughout its lifetime.
Appealing acidity – Pine naturally has a higher acidity than hardwoods. This means that the decomposition of pine straw increases the acidity of the soil, producing a better soil composition for most plants.
Good value – Although slightly more expensive than most premium hardwood mulches, it is still a very good value.
Durable – Pine bark decomposes slowly. A single mulching could easily remain effective and attractive for up to three years.

Cons:
Price – Most people experience some sticker shock at the price of pine bark mulches. Because It is difficult to find, it is more expensive than other varieties of mulches. However, its durability and healthy properties makes it a reasonable value over time.
Floating – Because of its light weight and loose nature, shredded Pine bark is prone to drifting during heavy rains and may require a small amount of clean-up afterwards. However, this lightweight, loose quality provides a much more plant-friendly option than the easily-compacted shredded hardwood mulches that are so commonly used in our area.

–Contributed by Peter Dymond
HL Garden Care foreman

In this week’s discussion of mulch, you will likely notice our bias toward mulches made with Pine products, since they offer great beauty throughout the life of the mulch while creating the healthiest environment for plants. Today we will present one of our favorites:

PINE STRAW MULCH

Pros:
Attractive appearance – The light tan color and lacy texture of Pine straw combine to create a striking contrast with shrubs and trees that actually highlights the plants it surrounds.
Weed resistant – Because Pine straw breaks down so completely, it doesn’t generate the habitat that is most conducive to weeds.
Mold resistant – The nature of Pine straw decomposition inhibits the growth of molds and funguses.
Permeable – Even as the summer wears on, Pine straw’s loose thatch allows water and moisture to penetrate the soil beneath while continuing to limit the growth of weeds.
Appealing acidity – Pine naturally has a higher acidity then hardwoods. This means that the decomposition of pine straw increases the acidity of the soil, producing a better soil composition for most plants.
Good value – Although slightly more expensive than most premium hardwood mulches, it is still a very good value.

Cons:
Hard to find – In the Northeast, Pine straw mulch is not very common. This makes it harder for the average customer to find and potentially more expensive.
Light weight- Since Pine straw is so light, application can be slightly more susceptible to windy weather. However. once the Pine straw has gotten wet, this lightness no longer remains a problem, as the Pine straw creates a natural thatch that ensures it remains in place.

–Contributed by Peter Dymond
HL Garden Care Foreman

Spring is almost here! It’s just about time time to spruce up your garden with a new layer of mulch. But before you borrow your brother-in-law’s pickup truck and run to the nearest mulch provider, make sure you are selecting the proper mulch for the plants in your garden. In the next few posts, we will look at several types of mulch, highlighting their positive and negative characteristics. You will likely notice our bias toward mulches made with Pine products, since they offer great beauty throughout the life of the mulch while creating the healthiest environment for plants. Today we will present the mulch most commonly used in this area:

SHREDDED HARDWOOD MULCH (also called TANBARK MULCH)

PROS:
• Common – This is the most common type of mulch and is easy to find.
• Least expensive – Shredded hardwood mulch is also the least expensive type of mulch.
• Many options – Shredded hardwood mulch provides a number of options, such as color and how finely it is shredded.

CONS:
• Fades quickly – Shredded hardwood mulch tends to bleach significantly throughout the summer.
• Prone to fungus – These mulches are also prone to unsightly and even damaging funguses (see photos below).
• Prone to weeds – Shredded hardwood mulch does not decompose well. They breakdown fairly slowly, which would be fine, if not for the fact that as they do, they create a soil mixture that is promotes the growth of weeds and volunteer trees.
• Dense build-up – Another byproduct of hardwood mulch decomposition is that, after numerous yearly applications, plant roots are buried under a dense carpet of mulch and no longer receive adequate air and moisture. During the hottest, driest months of the year, plants may shrivel and die because water can not penetrate this thick crust. In the long run, the initial savings may be expended to replace dead plants.
• Low acidity – Most plants prefer a more acidic soil composition than hardwood mulch provides.

–Contributed by Peter Dymond
HL Garden Care Foreman

Success in a garden is from the ground up–literally! The health and beauty of garden plants depend on the soil in which they are planted, so investing in high-quality soil, soil amendments, and the right type of mulch is important and justifiable.

In many locales in Central Pennsylvania, new homes are built on soil that has been depleted of nutrients after many years of farming. This type of soil will inhibit rather than promote plant health. If this is your situation, when you begin to develop your outdoor spaces we advise you to spend the money to add topsoil that is nutrient rich, loosely textured, and as weed-free as possible. Good topsoil will provide the nutrients plants need, allow for adequate water penetration and drainage, and reduce competition from weeds.
If your garden is already established but not thriving, it may be that a fertilization regimen and an irrigation system will correct the nutritional and moisture deficits. Hanselman Landscape provides fertilization, irrigation, and weed control to encourage healthy, robust plant growth.

A garden is a place where, with careful tending, growth is measured and certain. There is hope in a garden–that spring will surely follow winter; that what was green and vibrant last year will burst forth in color, fragrance, and beauty once again; that the cares of today are just for a moment and will soon be forgotten. I need a garden in my life because I need rest and shelter and joy and hope. I need a garden in my life because I am human.

Gratefully shared by Betty Hanselman
Gardener’s wife (& discoverer of garden hope)

When I am disheartened by the cares of the world, I only have to look up at the Cardinal singing its heart out in the branches of a Dawn Redwood to remember that I, too, have a myriad of reasons to rejoice. In my garden, I am reminded that the Almighty Hand that clothes the flowers and feeds the birds also cares for me. My garden becomes a cathedral where my heart cries out for wisdom and shouts out songs of gratitude and praise. Here, I find great joy, even in hard times.

Gratefully shared by Betty Hanselman
Gardener’s wife (& garden joy-seeker)