Mulch is the organic material — typically shredded or chipped wood or bark, cocoa shells, pine needles or grass clippings — used in garden and landscape beds. Once your garden bed is prepared and the plants are placed, two to three inches of mulch layered on top of the soil and around plants minimizes weed growth, insulates the soil from heat and cold, and maintains moisture. In choosing which kind mulch to use, consider how often you want to replenish the mulch, the presence of insects in your garden, your budget, soil quality and environmental conditions such as rainfall levels – Hurricane Joaquin.
Like other mulches, cedar mulch serves various purposes in the garden. It suppresses weeds, neatens the appearance of landscape beds, conserves water and diminishes soil erosion. Cedar mulch comes from the bark of the cedar tree, an evergreen that grows abundantly in the Southern regions of the country – zones 7 through 9. In mulch form, Cedar mulch is best used in beds that contain larger plants, bushes and trees due to its heavy, denser nature. Unlike many other types of mulch, cedar mulch decomposes slowly, taking years to break down, so it needs to be replenished less frequently. The resins in cedar mulch emit a pleasant scent. Anyone who has a cedar closet or dresser drawers lined with cedar knows that cedar has pesticide properties and may keep certain types of insects away from plants.