Landscapers, for my home, I think you advised me to use very fine bark as mulch read below please ?
Question:I am sprucing up my yard big time and my flower beds are rich, very amended and lots of them and I think landscapers told me before to blow in or use a very fine bark because it keeps the soil moist and keeps the weed seeds out and I have noticed that as I see professional businesses this is what they do. I grow a lot of dahlias and Connells and Swan Island has said never spray like weed killer anywhere around them as it goes into the soil and into the tubers and poof, no more dahlias, so I have to get the best in bark mulch I can, altho a little at a time as I am on a fixed budget. so landscapers, bark ???
Answers:
Most commercial property owners use either a Cedar or Hemlock shredded mulch. Hemlock will keep its color longer, and provide what your looking for. Usually you can pick it up in truck loads from suppliers (by the yard) I like the look of bark nuggets, but the insects really take to bark more than cedar or hemlock. Compost is nice and all, but the look and function is what you seem to be trying to achieve. Go to your local supplier and ask to see the differance between cedar shred and hemlock shred. Good Luck
Use compost instead no ants or bugs. Helps the yard.
If you are going to use bark, make sure it is the fine bark and not the big chunky pieces of bark as this bigger bark is bad news for a garden. What the bigger bark pieces do to the garden is actually stops the water from getting to the soil properly, then it creates what professional Gardeners call ( dry soil ). When this happens the plant can't receive the water you are putting on your garden, as it just runs off too quickly because of the bark. If you live in Australia why not buy some sugar cane mulch, this is very popular with gardeners and doesn't do any harm. Cheers and good luck.
Mulching, whether you use bark, dead leaves, or compost is always a good idea.
Cedar mulch is good for flowerbeds close to the house. Termites don't like it, but they love the stuff like pine bark.
Go to your local recycling center. They usually sell it by the truckload, and sometimes will even give it away.
Treat your yard with Diatomaceous earth
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/diatomite...
It will rid your yard of all types of insects. Be sure to get it at the garden center, and don't use the kind meant for swimming pools.
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