Warmer weather is finally upon us, but your lawn shows the wear and tear of a long winter. The good news is that spring is traditionally a time of new beginnings, and your lawn will soon be full of blossoming flowers, tall grass and returning wildlife. The birds will sing, the bees will buzz and your family will enjoy ample time outside enjoying the sunshine over the next few months. But you’ll need to put in a little work first. If you’re looking for an easy, effective way to improve the health and appearance of your outdoor space, brown mulch is the way to go.
With only a little effort and a bit of prep work, you can lay premium brown mulch in various spots of your outdoor space to create a more cohesive feel. Plus, this afternoon of yard work will provide your yard with an abundance of excellent benefits that can potentially make upkeep easier throughout the year.
Below, we’ve created a comprehensive guide to using brown mulch, along with benefits, alternatives and answers to some common questions. Before we dive in, feel free to check out the organic hardwood mulch ProCut Firewood offers by clicking the button below.
Brown Mulch Uses
Brown mulch can be used in many ways to bring new life into your property. While most people immediately think of mulching their flower beds, this is far from the only option. You can also use mulch on your trees and shrubs, to create walkways and to highlight specific areas or elements.
Gardens
Mulching your garden beds just makes sense. After all, it’s one of the places where you’ll reap the most benefits from mulching. It also helps to bring all your garden beds together to create one cohesive look.
One of the great things about naturally colored mulch is that it lets your flowers take center stage. If you’re looking for something subtle so your bright flowers and vivid plants will draw the eye, brown mulch is an excellent option!
Trees and Shrubs
Trees and shrubs can benefit from mulch, too. Just ensure you leave at least three inches of bare ground around the bases of these plants, avoiding “mulch volcanos” at all costs. Otherwise, you could suffocate the roots, invite pest infestations or even cause root rot.
Feel free to mulch around your trees and shrubs with or without a garden border, depending on your preferred aesthetic. If you choose to mulch without a defined border, it may spread a little beyond the original edge with time. But that’s okay! A few moments of tidying up the edges can get things back in order.
Walkways
Walkways provide set paths for people to walk through your yard, which saves the rest of your lawn from being worn down by heavy foot traffic. However, many of the options for walkways can be equally destructive. For example, stones and concrete are challenging to dig out if you change your mind and leave big holes in your grass.
But mulch walkways are a better solution! First, you don’t have to dig up your grass to install them. Second, they add nutrients to your lawn instead of killing those areas. So, if you ever change your mind, growing new grass in those areas will be easy! Plus, they look much more natural than brick, stone and concrete options, providing a gentler, subtle look.
Area Highlighting
Do you have a specific area of your property that you’d like to highlight as your piece de resistance? Perhaps it’s a water fountain, garden sculpture, climbing vine wall or a seating area. Whatever it is, mulch is a simple yet effective way to do this!
Laying mulch around the object or throughout the area can help draw the eye naturally. Brown mulch will present a more subtle and less striking appearance than red or black options.
What Type of Brown Mulch Should You Use?
Brown mulch types run the gambit, so it can feel overwhelming trying to pick the right one. But the good news is that we’re here to unravel the mystery. Opt for mulch that is:
- Organic: You won’t reap benefits like nutrifying the soil from brown rubber mulch. Opt for natural wood variations instead to receive the best results.
- Hardwood: Hardwood options are denser, providing better ground covering, and you’ll require less of it. Certain softwoods (like cedar) are also harmful to pets and wildlife.
- Chemical-free: Many commercial mulches are sprayed with chemicals to prevent weeds. Unfortunately, these chemicals can also damage your flower beds.
- Locally sourced: Choosing mulch crafted from locally sourced wood means you won’t accidentally introduce invasive bug species and likely won’t contribute to deforestation.
- Available in bulk: It’s impossible to tell what’s really in those bagged mulches you see at your local hardware or landscape store. Bulk isn’t only better quality, but it’s also more convenient—no more hefting heavy bags around!
Sometimes, you can choose from dark brown mulch and a lighter version. Choosing between these two is a matter of personal preference. Dark brown mulch is better at adding depth to your flower beds, whereas light brown mulch will have slightly brighter visuals. At ProCut Firewood, our light brown mulch is our natural option, which is undyed and naturally lighter in color.
At ProCut Firewood, our brown mulch meets all these criteria! Plus, we offer convenient delivery within 40 miles of our Rochester location to further simplify the mulch-buying process for you.
Premium Brown Mulch Benefits
You know how you can use brown mulch in your outdoor space, but why should you be using it? There are a multitude of reasons! For example, mulch helps with moisture retention, weed suppression and soil health. Below, we discuss the numerous benefits of using premium organic brown mulch in your outdoor space.
Soil Temperature Regulation
Brown mulch helps soil absorb and retain heat, so the ground remains warmer than the air around it. This is especially beneficial when growing plants and flowers in cooler climates.
Weed Suppression
Mulch aids in weed suppression in two ways. First, it blocks sunlight and floating seeds from reaching your soil. Second, weeds will find it challenging to grow through your mulch layer. For this to be most effective, you’ll want to thoroughly weed your flower beds before laying your ground covering.
Moisture Retention
If you live in an especially warm environment or regularly battle droughts, mulch can help your plants survive! A layer of brown mulch will keep moisture in your soil and slow (or stop) the evaporation process so your plants always have the water they need to thrive.
Adds Nutrients to the Soil
Unlike inorganic mulches, our premium hardwood will add essential nutrients to the soil as it decomposes. Your property will not only look great, but it will also be healthier!
Zero Bugs, Chemicals or Mold
Our premium hardwood mulch is created using kiln-dried wood. This process eradicates any bugs, molds or chemicals living in the original wood, so you don’t need to worry about them affecting your property. Plus, we don’t add any chemicals ourselves and store our mulch off the ground to keep it dry.
Potentially Easier Upkeep
Mulch can simplify your property’s upkeep by eliminating the need to pull weeds. Depending on where you’ve placed brown mulch, it can also cut down on time spent mowing.
How Much Brown Mulch Do You Need for Your Project?
Every project has different mulch needs, depending on the size of the area, the depth needed and other factors. For this reason, we can’t give you a single answer. Instead, we created a useful tool that helps determine your unique project needs! Check out our mulch calculator and input your information into the relevant fields to receive your personalized estimate of the cubic yards needed.
Alternatives to Brown Color Mulch
If you want to reap the numerous benefits of using premium hardwood mulch in your yard but are looking for something with a different aesthetic, we’ve got you covered!
If you’re looking for a sleek, modern feel, premium black mulch is an excellent choice. The black coloring helps provide a stark contrast to bright flowers and works well in modern-themed outdoor spaces. Black mulch is also great for adding visual depth to your flowerbeds.
Red mulch is another option that’s still earthy and natural feeling but with a much more vivid color scheme. Our red-colored ground covering is a staple in rustic décor and provides a very laidback, comfortable feeling for your property.
Get Premium Brown Mulch from ProCut Firewood Today!
Premium hardwood brown mulch can create a more aesthetically pleasing, cohesive appearance in your outdoor space. It will also provide the soil with necessary nutrients and offer protection from the sun, droughts and weeds!
Ready to reap the benefits of brown mulch in your yard? ProCut Firewood is ready to help! Contact us today using the button below or call (507) 203-2517 to place your order and schedule a pickup or delivery. We can’t wait to hear from you!
