ADVISORY

   TO MULCH OR NOT TO MULCH

             Think its too late... think again!

Mulch is a layer of material covering the soil to exclude sunlight. It is proven to be one of the most effective and desirable methods of preventing germination and growth of annual weeds. Since most seeds require sunlight to germinate, mulch is effective as a weed control. Mulches, depending on the material being used, has the added advantage of improving soil,bettering water retention, helps in breaking down clay soil, improves holding capacity of sandysoil and minimizes dust.The minerals and organic matter gradually released from decaying mulch feeds deficient soils,replacing nutrients taken up by roots as plants grow, often enhancing earthworm populations.

  Although mulching can require an initial investment, either in time, money or both, the longterm benefits reduces ongoing weed management costs.  If you have prepared your site, killed orremoved weeds, follow immediately with an application of mulch.  Regular hand pulling of weed seedlings may be all that is needed for weed management.  Although mulch is effective against newly emerging weeds, it often fails to control established perennial weeds such asjohnsongrass, bermudagrass, and field bindweed. Remove these species manually as soon as they appear or by spraying glyphosate (Roundup).

The primary benefits of using mulch are:

� Keeps the soil cooler in the heat of the summer.

� Prevents erosion of valuable topsoil.

� Conserves nitrogen by preventing sun from heating the soils surface.

� Coarse enough to allow easy water penetration.

� Heavy enough to stand strong winds. 

� Protects roots from hard winter freezes.

You can purchase mulch and lawn materials at SaundersLS.com and at your convenience with our 24 hour shopping cart!

Using Gravel for Edging

1.Create your design; you can lay it out with a garden hose or spray paint. 

2.Determine how deep you will need your trench to be. Keep in mind the depth of your edging material and the depth of any base material used. Saunders offers an online calulator so you can calculate how much you need. Just measure your length times the width and enter into the calculator at http://www.saundersls.com/sand

3. Excavate trench removing any rocks or roots that may cause leveling problems.

4.You can either lay your edging straight into the trench with out a leveling material or on a 1" or less of coarse sand for leveling ease. Go to http://www.saundersls.com/sand to calculate how much you need and order online 24/7.

4.Place edging material into trench leveling side-to-side and front to back as best as you can. (Natural stone will typically not be perfectly level.)

5.Continue laying until all of your edging is installed. If cuts are necessary you can cut the stone edging with a skill saw or chop saw equipped with a concrete/natural stone diamond blade or you can score (make a shallow cut with saw) and snap the waste stone off with a chisel and hammer. You could rent a hydraulic splitter or a diamond blade (typically rent these at a neighborhood equipment rental company). Using the splitter or chisel and hammer will leave you with a more natural split face vs. the saws will leave you with a smooth finish.

Need help, call and ask for Don or Mary-we can help you get the correct amount ordered or order online at your convenience. Saunders Landscape Supply

Susan Buckingham