It is not uncommon today that the animal lovers out there don’t mind going over the top for their furry friends! Similarly, at TMLC we treat plant life and our environment with the same tender care and love. We make it our number one priority to efficiently manage and provide the utmost care to your property and Gainesville lawn ensuring it thrives season after season. Our knowledge of plants, pests, horticulture, diseases, and maintenance will help your property flourish when following the proper steps. We agree with UF'S IF AS research on the following important reasons and methods for using and applying mulch to get the most out of your Gainesville landscape.
- PROPER MULCH DEPTH - A 3″ layer of Mulch can decrease root temperatures up to 10 degrees during the intense heat of the summer. This becomes a concern when surface soil temperatures peak above 100 degrees. Tree roots are susceptible to death when exposed to intense heat. Heat buildup occurs in the top 6″ layer of soil, which is also the location of the most organic matter/nutrients. As a result plants and trees that do not have a 3 inch layer of mulch will find it difficult to flourish and may stricken growth during the summer.
- NATURAL COMPOST - Applying Mulch isn’t just for appearance, it improves the quality of the soil as the mulch breaks down over time. Compaction of soil can harm or even kill trees by creating a stressful anaerobic environment to the roots. Mulch reduces this compaction, in addition to keeping lawn mowers and other potentially destructive equipment a safe distance away from vulnerable tree roots and trunks.
-WATER SAVINGS - Most importantly, moisture retention is greater and will allow your plants and trees to grow throughout the exceedingly hot summer months which also reduces GRU sprinkler watering costs.
-LESS WEEDS AND HERBICIDE- By having the proper amount of mulch in your beds, weeds will naturally be suppressed as weed seeds struggle to germinate beneath the barrier of mulch. This reduces the frustration of pulling weeds as well as the amount of herbicides used in your Gainesville lawn.
- THE TIME IS NOW - Applying Mulch in the fall may lead to rodent burrowing and nesting through the winter in your planting beds. Rodents will have a feast all winter as they chew on the nutritious roots. After the first frost most rodents have found their bedding location for the winter, so it is better to wait until a few colder spells before applying mulching for the fall. Many avoid this issue by mulching their trees in the spring.
We hope to have shed some light on the importance of applying mulch in your Gainesville lawn and landscape!