Mulch Matters: Understanding Its Purpose and Why Your Garden Needs It

What is Mulch Used For? Why Do You Need It? | Texas Native

Texas Native mulch does more than just enhance your home’s curb appeal. When properly installed and maintained, our mulch is a powerhouse product that offers a wide array of benefits, including boosting plant growth, suppressing weeds, and promoting soil health.

In this comprehensive guide, we will dig deep to answer all your Texas Native mulch-related questions, including what mulch is, how it's made, and the many ways it can support the health and vitality of your garden, flower beds, and landscape.

Looking for high-quality, sustainably sourced mulch for your home, garden, or commercial use? Texas Native mulch has you covered! We recycle cleared vegetation, stumps, and trees into beautiful, functional mulch that enriches the soil, safeguards your plants, and enhances your landscape.

Read on to learn more about mulch and mulching. Ready to get started? Shop your local home improvement store for Texas Native landscape products, or browse our extensive selection online and start taking your outdoor projects to the next level.

What is Mulch?

Packaged in two cubic foot bags or bought in bulk by the truckload, mulch is a loose material that forms a tough, flexible layer of protection when spread around plants, trees, structures, and shrubs, preventing weed growth while retaining moisture and nutrients in the soil.

Some mulch is made of inorganic material, like recycled plastic or rubber. Texas Native mulch is 100% organic, made from hardwood trees, stumps and branches native to the Texas landscape. Texas Native mulch beautifies the landscape while lending a polished, professional look to any outdoor project.

How is Mulch Made?

We take pride in our commitment to sustainability and produce all our mulch from responsibly sourced, all-natural materials.

Texas Native mulch is made from recycled wood debris. The first step is collecting natural, untreated wood chips, bark, tree limbs, and other scraps that are a byproduct of land clearing and development. 

Normally thrown away or taken to a landfill, these materials are recycled and then double-shredded in an industrial grinder. Once ground to the proper size and texture, the material is screened and aged. From there, Texas Native Hardwood and Cedar mulches are carefully refined, while our colored mulches are dyed with non-toxic, biodegradable, FDA-approved pigments to achieve rich, vibrant shades of black, brown, and red.

Visit here to learn more about our process.

What is Mulch Used For?

The purpose of mulch varies based on your project and goals. Whether you’re aiming to add a vibrant accent to your property or need a durable barrier to control weeds around your plants and trees, Texas Native mulches deliver both functionality and beauty, season after season.

Mulch offers a variety of benefits for your landscape, property, or garden, including:

• Moisture Retention: Mulch acts as a protective blanket for the soil, minimizing water evaporation and allowing your plants to retain moisture for longer. This helps reduce water usage and the frequency of watering, especially during hot, dry summer months.

• Soil Enrichment: Texas Native mulches offer more than just visual appeal. As they naturally decompose, they enrich the soil with essential nutrients, fostering healthy, dark soil that plants thrive in. This process provides long-term nourishment for your plants while supporting beneficial microbial activity.

• Weed Suppression: One of the most significant advantages of mulch is its ability to suppress weed growth around the plants you want to thrive. By forming a physical barrier, mulch blocks sunlight and prevents weed seeds from germinating. Not only does this keep your landscape neat and tidy, but it also allows your plants to flourish without competing for vital nutrients and water.

• Temperature Regulation: Extreme heat can dry out the soil, cooking your plants to the root and stunting growth. Properly installed mulch acts as an insulator, dropping the temperature of the soil and helping preserve delicate root structures. Come winter, mulch provides protection against cold weather, ensuring your perennials come back year after year.

• Erosion Prevention: While rain helps flowers grow, too much can cause problems. During heavy downpours, mulch serves as a protective layer, absorbing the force of the rain and preventing soil erosion, especially on slopes or in areas with loose soil.

• Ground Coverage: Texas Native mulch is versatile beyond the garden! Apply it along walkways or beneath outdoor features like pergolas, decks, swings, and mailboxes to suppress weeds and prevent pooling water, reducing the need for frequent maintenance.

What Are the Different Types of Mulch?

Our Texas Native premium landscape products feature a wide selection of all-natural mulches designed to meet your specific needs. Explore our selection, including:

• Hardwood Mulch: An all-natural, double-ground mulch made from a blend of hardwoods aged 9-15 months. Texas Native Hardwood Mulch features a rich, dark color that remains consistent throughout the year, offers excellent moisture retention, and delivers a generous supply of natural humus and nutrients to enrich your soil. Its dense, composted structure also ensures it stays in place, even in heavy rain.

• Cedar Mulch: All-natural and reddish brown in color, Texas Native Cedar Mulch stands out for being wonderfully aromatic and a natural insect repellent. It’s an ideal choice for garden beds, pathways, and landscaping projects.

• Contractor's Blend Hardwood Mulch: This double-ground mulch, made from high-quality hardwoods, provides excellent coverage and durability. Its finely-shredded texture forms a stable, long-lasting layer that stays in place, making Texas Native Contractor’s Blend Hardwood Mulch perfect for expansive areas such as commercial landscapes, parks, and larger residential properties.

Texas Native Colored Mulch

Our dyed mulch is ideal for both residential and commercial landscaping projects. Like all our mulches, it features long-lasting, color-fast hues and is completely safe for plants, children, and pets. We use biodegradable dyes that are EPA-approved, ensuring a vibrant, eco-friendly solution for your landscape.

Types of colored mulch we produce include:

• Black Label Mulch: A high-quality hardwood mulch with a rich, dark black color. Ideal for creating a polished and professional look around your home or property.

• Rojo Red Mulch: Adds a vibrant pop of color to your landscape. This red-hued mulch is perfect for accentuating flower beds and garden pathways.

• Cafe Brown Mulch: Featuring a warm, rich brown tone that pairs beautifully with any landscape design, this mulch provides an easy way to elevate your curb appeal.

• Royal Black Mulch: Our Royal Black Hardwood Mulch is a premium hardwood product that's been dyed a deep, velvety black. Perfect for creating sophisticated and elegant beds and plantings.

Want to buy Texas Native mulch? We've got you covered! Visit the following links to learn how to purchase Texas Native mulch and other products in Hutto, Fort Worth, or South Austin!

How Does Mulch Help Plants Grow?

Mulch serves as the perfect support for ornamental plants and trees, preserving moisture and keeping invasive weeds at bay. It also offers the following benefits:

Stronger Roots

Mulch helps retain moisture near the soil surface, encouraging deeper, stronger root growth for healthier, more resilient plants. This can protect your plants from issues like pest damage, root rot, and other stressors.

Improved Nutrition

As hardwood mulch breaks down, it serves as a slow-release fertilizer, steadily enriching the soil with essential nutrients. This process supports healthy plant growth and can reduce the reliance on chemical fertilizers.

Enhanced Soil Health

Earthworms, beneficial microbes, and other vital organisms are crucial in maintaining healthy soil that supports thriving plants. Mulch acts as a protective layer, shielding these helpful creatures from heat and rain while providing the moisture and nutrients they need to create an ideal growing environment for your plants.

How Does Mulch Prevent the Growth of Weeds?

Weeds thrive in sunlight! Texas Native mulch forms a protective barrier between the sun and soil, blocking light, preventing weed seeds from germinating, and minimizing widespread weed growth.

When applied correctly, a layer of mulch significantly reduces the time and effort spent managing unwanted plants. It also lessens the need for chemical weed killers, creating a safer environment around your home while letting your flowers and plants truly shine.

Should I Install a Barrier Before I Mulch?

In most cases, a barrier isn't necessary when using mulch. In fact, a non-porous barrier like plastic sheeting can prevent water and nutrients from percolating into the soil, starving your plants of what they need to grow.

When properly installed, mulch can prevent most weed growth by itself. However, if you have a significant weed problem, a biodegradable weed barrier, like a natural woven mesh, can be used underneath the mulch. These barriers are designed to decompose over time, allowing water, air and nutrients to flow to the soil while keeping pesky weeds from poking through.

What Happens If I Don't Use Mulch?

While mulch isn't essential for the survival of your flowers and ornamental plants, it can make it much easier for them to thrive. Potential problems that can occur without the use of mulch include:

• Increased Water Use: Without a layer of mulch to help retain moisture, you'll likely need to water your plants more frequently, especially during dry periods. This can be time-consuming and can run up your water bill.

• Weed Development: Weeds have a much easier time taking root and growing without a mulch barrier, which can lead to less attractive and more labor-intensive plantings.

• Soil Erosion: Without the protection of mulch, heavy rain or runoff can erode soil, leading to nutrient loss, wash-outs, and uneven terrain.

• Extreme Temperatures: Without mulch to act as an insulator, soil temperatures can fluctuate dramatically, potentially damaging delicate plants and their root systems during scorching summers or frigid winters.

How Do I Install Mulch?

Mulching isn’t complicated, but it does require following a few simple steps. To achieve a flawless mulch application, be sure to:

• Prepare the Ground: Clear the area you want to cover with mulch, rake out any debris, weeds, and rocks, and level the soil as best you can. If the ground is extremely dry or hard-packed, you may want to till or turn the soil to make planting easier. For a crisp, professional look, add edging to keep the mulch where you want it.

• Apply a Weed Barrier If Needed: A weed barrier typically isn't necessary, but if you're in an area prone to heavy weed growth, you can use a biodegradable weed barrier to prevent unwanted plants from pushing through. These barriers are widely available in rolls at most garden centers.

• Choose Your Mulch: Texas Native mulch comes in a wide variety of textures, colors, and types and is designed to suit any landscaping need. Carefully consider its aesthetic appeal, ensuring the color and texture enhance your landscape and complement the surrounding features.

• Spread the Mulch: Determine the depth. For most areas, a layer of 2-3 inches of mulch is ideal. For new beds, you may want to apply up to 4 inches. Evenly distribute the mulch across the area using a rake or gloved hands, ensuring consistent coverage. Keep a gap around plants and avoid piling mulch directly against plant stems or tree trunks. Leave a small gap (about 1-2 inches) to prevent rot and allow proper air circulation.

• Maintain Mulch: If using Texas Native Colored Mulches, do not water for 24-48 hours, as this will allow the mulch to fully cure and prevent premature color fading. Check the mulch periodically, refreshing it as needed to maintain the recommended depth and to keep the color and texture looking fresh.

Still unsure? We're your trusted source for reliable answers. Feel free to reach out with any questions—we're here to help! Contact us today! Don't know how much mulch you'll need for a project? Use Texas Native's easy online mulch calculator to avoid over- or under-buying.

How Do I Maintain My Mulch?

Mulch usually requires very little maintenance. However, there are a few things to keep in mind to keep it looking great:

• Reapply as Needed: As mulch breaks down over time, it naturally enriches the soil with nutrients. If you notice thinning areas or significant decomposition after a season, simply add more mulch to maintain the desired look and depth.

• Avoid Over-Mulching: While the right amount of mulch enhances both beauty and function, too much can lead to issues like uneven settling or disrupted water flow. A layer of 2 to 4 inches is ideal. Be sure to leave a few inches of space around tree trunks, as placing mulch directly against the base can cause discoloration or rot.

• Watch Out for Weeds: While properly installed mulch makes it difficult for weeds to grow, they can still appear. Be sure to pull any weeds by the roots as soon as you spot them before they can spread seeds.

Contact Texas Native

For over 35 years, Texas Native has been collecting organic materials and transforming them into sustainable landscaping products. From the beginning, we've been focused on diverting green waste from landfills and burn piles while helping our local contractors and homeowners conserve water and promote soil health in their landscapes.

Today, the Texas Native brand offers more than 40 different premium mulch, soil, compost, and aggregate products across the state of Texas. We continue to prioritize our products, our people, and our partnerships.

Have questions? Contact us today through our convenient online form, phone (512)259-7430, or send an email to info@austinwoodrecycling.com.