Sustainable Urban Landscapes: Using Mulches in Managed Landscapes, August 2001

The use of mulch in managed landscapes can have many benefits. When used properly mulch can suppress weeds, conserve soil moisture, moderate soil temperature extremes, improve soil structure, increase soil fertility, and suppress some diseases. Unfortunately, improper use of mulch has been responsible for many problems in landscapes. Many of these problems can be avoided through simple precautions, such as composting fresh mulch before use and by keeping mulch away from the stems of plants and walls of buildings. There is a great diversity of materials available for use as landscape mulch, each with differing properties that provide advantages in particular situations. Maximizing the benefits of mulch while avoiding the pitfalls requires matching the characteristics of particular mulches with plant requirements, environmental conditions, such as soil type and climate, and management objectives for the landscape. There are few general rules that apply in all situations