Mulch plays a vital role in creating and maintaining healthy lawns and gardens, and it also has important applications in commercial agriculture.
The primary purpose of mulch in NJ and NYC is to increase soil fertility, and when the right type of mulch is paired with quality topsoil, lush gardens, thick lawns and bountiful harvests often result.
To choose the right bulk mulch in NJ and NY, it’s important to understand its composition and range of applications. Not all mulches are made equal, and learning what makes a better mulch will help you generate the best possible results from your gardening and agricultural projects.
What’s In Mulch?
Mulch is made from a wide range of materials, which are mixed in different proportions to create a product with specific characteristics. Ingredients and proportions must be carefully chosen and combined to achieve a certain pH level or decomposition rate.
This is part of the reason it’s important to choose the right bulk mulch supplier in NJ and NY. Experienced, knowledgeable professionals can help you select the right mulch for your unique needs.
With that said, most mulches contain a similar set of basic materials, including:
- Organics – Leaves, grass, peat moss, bark and wood chips, straw and hay are commonly used in commercially prepared mulch. Most mulches are primarily composed of wood chips and bark.
- Composted materials – Manure and food scraps are also used to ensure the mulch supports soil fertility.
Some mulches also contain inorganic materials, including recycled rubber, thin plastics and rocks. These components are chosen for highly specific applications; mulch which contains plastic is often used for commercial-scale vegetable cultivation, and mulch with rocks or gravel retains heat, which is very useful in cooler growing conditions.
Commercially prepared mulch is made through a carefully controlled multi-step process.
First, the bark and wood chips that make up the bulk of the mulch are finely ground before secondary ingredients are added in the correct proportions.
From there, additives such as environmentally safe, UV-resistant colorants can be applied before the mulch is bagged and sold to distributors and retailers.
What Is Mulch Used For?
Mulch offers several key agricultural and gardening benefits, including:
- Moisture retention in soil, supporting healthy plants and grass.
- Improved soil health and fertility.
- Reduced weed growth.
Whether you’re an avid gardener or a commercial agriculturalist, using mulch can greatly improve the overall results of your growing efforts. It can be spread directly over uncultivated soil at the beginning of the growing season, or used on lawns and gardens which are already supporting plants and grass.
What to Look For in a Quality Bulk Mulch Supplier
Like mulch itself, not all mulch suppliers are equal. Quality suppliers offer three important benefits:
- Knowledge and experience – Suppliers that have been in business for a long time have more know-how. You can leverage their experience to get better results, both immediately and over the long term.
- Excellent customer service – Courteous, prompt service that’s supported by a broad knowledge base makes the task of choosing mulch easier and more efficient.
- Convenient delivery options – Add to your value proposition by working with a provider of bulk mulch in NJ and NY that offers flexible delivery options to your home or work site.
Choosing a supplier of bulk mulch in NJ and NY that offers all three of these advantages will ensure you get the greatest possible return on your investment.
How Much Should Mulch Cost?
As with any other product, you get what you pay for. Products made from high-quality ingredients cost more, but they also perform better.
Before settling on a particular type of mulch, be sure to discuss the specifics of your intended application with a reputable supplier. They will be able to help you select a product that’s specially formulated for the type of work you’re doing and the soil conditions you’re working with.
As one of the largest suppliers of mulch in NJ and NY we welcome any questions you may have about mulch or your upcoming mulch project.
