Good Wood: 5 benefits of wood chip mulch

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Whether you work in a backyard garden or manage the landscaping of a public building, you likely know the importance of mulch. The right

mulch protects the vulnerable roots of new plants from extreme weather, while providing essential nutrients to encourage optimal growth.

But you may not know which type of mulch will work best on your property, in your garden or throughout your decorative flowerbeds.

Many homeowners and business executives choose wood based mulch, usually in the form of wood chips, due to its many beneficial

characteristics. In this blog, we introduce you to five of the common advantages of using wood chip mulch.

1. Affordable

Synthetic mulch boasts many benefits. However, the process of creating synthetic mulch incorporates many more steps than the process of creating organic wood chips. Because synthetic mulch is more difficult to produce, consumers typically pay higher prices for it.

In most cases, wood chips provide a practical mulch solution that’s more cost-effective than other options. You can find even cheaper wood chip mulch when you work with a local tree removal service rather than a national mulch supplier, since the chips won’t need to be shipped over a long distance.

2. Effective

One of the biggest reasons to use mulch is to inhibit weed germination and growth. While all mulch prevents weeds from spreading with varying degrees of success, wood chips prove one of the most effective weed-blocking choices.

The weight and natural chemical components of wood chips make it more difficult for weeds to take root and reach maturity.

3. Low Maintenance

While organic mulches require more frequent replenishment (because they break down more quickly) than synthetic mulches, wood chips represent one of the lowest maintenance landscaping materials.

Wood breaks down into nutrients that your plants need, so there’s no requirement to remove the deteriorated mulch before creating a new layer. Wood chips also resist movement, so it to stays where you lay it rather than spreading out.

When taken care of correctly, wood chips can provide active benefits for up to 10 years before needing replacement.

4. Moisture Retentive

One of mulch’s primary purposes is to reduce the required amount of watering in a specific area. Ground cover diminishes evaporation and gives water time to really saturate the soil.

Wood chips offer extremely high levels of moisture retention. In fact, some experts report that wood chips reduce the need for irrigation by about 50%, especially in perennial flower beds and around shrubs.

5. Sustainable

Wood chips are readily available almost anywhere in the world because manufacturers create them mostly out of tree debris that would otherwise be thrown away.

In a landfill, tree limbs and bark take up a lot of space. In a garden, those same tree branches provide vital nutrients, decrease water use and encourage new plants to grow. This natural cycle makes wood chips one of the most sustainable mulch choices on the market.

You may even have the option of ‘recycling’ trees on your property that die or become damaged by turning them into mulch. If you decide to use your own trees for wood chips, work with a trained arborist to ensure that the wood doesn’t have any diseases, pests or fungal growths that could damage your garden.

If you think wood chip mulch could work for you, reach out to a tree service provider. Certified arborists and tree removal specialists often create wood chip mulch from damaged trees that would otherwise go to a landfill. These professionals often offer mulch in higher bulk at a more affordable price, making them an ideal supplier for industrial, municipal and commercial landscapers.

Take advantage of these benefits in your own gardening or landscaping today. For more information about tree health and removal, read our other blog posts.

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