Enhance your Landscape with Mulch or Bark from Crossroads Property Services. We provide a premium selection of mulch and bark products at our Landscape Retail Center. We deliver or you pick up.

When applied correctly, mulch has the following beneficial effects on plants and soil:

• Help prevent loss of water from the soil by evaporation.
• Reduces the growth of weeds when applied deeply enough to prevent weed germination or to smother existing weeds.
• Keep the soil cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, thus maintaining a more even soil temperature.
• Prevents soil splashing, which not only stops erosion but keeps soil-borne diseases from splashing up onto the plants.
• Improve the soil structure.  As the mulch decays and breaks down, the material it creates then becomes topsoil.  Decaying mulch also adds nutrients to the soil.
• Prevents the trunks of trees and shrubs from being damaged by lawn equipment.
• Help prevent soil compaction.
• Add color to the beauty of the landscape by providing a cover of uniform color and interesting texture to the surface.
• Mulched plants have more roots than plants that are not mulched because mulched plants will produce additional roots in the mulch that surrounds them.

Where to Use Mulch
Mulching is a very important practice for establishing new plantings because it helps to conserve moisture in the root ball of the new plant until the roots have grown out into the surrounding soil.  The growth rate and health of trees and shrubs increase when there is no competition for water and nutrients from weeds.  It also helps to prevent tree trunk injury by mowers and trimmers.  Mulch entire beds of shrubs, trees, annuals, herbaceous perennials, and ground covers.

Mulch can also be used to cover trails, driveways, and plan and natural areas.

When and How Often to Mulch
The best time to mulch new plantings is right after you plant them.  Around established plants, mulch is best applied in early spring.  This is when plants are beginning to grow and before weed seeds start to germinate.  Though mulch can be applied anytime.

How Deep to Apply Mulch
The amount of mulch to apply depends on the texture and density of the mulch material.  Many wood and bark mulches are composed of fine particles and should not be more than 2 to 3 inches deep.  Excessive amounts of these fine-textured mulches can suffocate plant rocks, resulting in yellowing of the leaves and poor growth.

Coarse-textured mulches such as pine bark nuggets allow good air movement through them and can be as deep as 4 inches.

How Much Mulch will I Need?
Measure your beds L x W = Total Square Feet.

1 yard of bark will spread 100 square feet 3 inches deep.
1 yard of bark will spread 324 square feet 1 inch deep.