What mulch actually does
Mulch holds soil moisture through July and August, keeps the root zone cooler, blocks light from weed seed and stops rain from splashing soil borne disease onto lower leaves. As it breaks down it feeds the soil. The dark background that makes plants pop is a side benefit, not the point.
Depth decides whether it works. Under two inches lets weeds through. Over three inches starves roots of oxygen and sheds light rain before it reaches soil.
How we do it
- Existing weeds pulled at the root, not buried under fresh mulch
- Old matted mulch broken up or removed so layers do not build into a crust
- Beds spade edged for a clean line that holds the mulch in place
- Fresh mulch spread by hand and raked even
- Mulch kept off trunks and stems, no volcanoes around trees
- Walks, drives and lawn blown clean before we leave
Mulch volcanoes kill trees
Piling mulch in a cone against a trunk holds moisture on bark that evolved to stay dry. Bark rots, roots circle upward into the mulch instead of the soil, and rodents nest in the pile and chew the base over winter. The tree can take years to die from it. We flare mulch away from every trunk, and we will pull down existing volcanoes on your property while we are there.
Timing and quantity
Mid to late spring is the main window, once soil warms and before summer weeds establish. A fall refresh helps insulate newer plantings through freeze and thaw cycles.
One cubic yard covers roughly one hundred square feet at three inches. We measure your beds and order accordingly rather than guessing high and charging you for the extra.
Get a mulch quote
Call or text (848) 702-6937. Free estimates in Manville, Hillsborough, Bridgewater, Somerville, Raritan, Bound Brook, South Bound Brook, Franklin Township, Millstone and Whitehouse Station.
Common questions
- How deep should mulch be?
- Two to three inches of total depth, including whatever is already there. Adding three fresh inches on top of three old inches is how beds end up waterlogged.
- Should the old mulch come out first?
- Not always. If the existing layer is thin and loose we break it up and top dress. If it has matted into a water shedding crust, we remove it.
- How often does mulch need refreshing?
- Once a year for most properties. Color fades by midsummer, and the layer thins as it decomposes into the soil.