Clearing Brush Piles and Helping Your Plants Thrive
Did you know that covering your garden and landscaping in a few inches of mulch will help prevent weed growth and retain moisture through hot summer months? Mulch is also important through the winter: A solid much bed will protect roots and soil when the temperature drops below freezing (depending on your region).
Making your own mulch is easier than you may think, since you have many mulch sources right in front of you. Branches, bark, brush piles, and compost are the most effective and nutrient rich, but you can also add leaves, pine needles, yard clippings and even newspaper. In these warm summer months, it’s best to use leaves, wood mulch from branches/brush piles with compost to help retain moisture and provide essential nutrients. Pine needles, straw and bark break down slower so are best used to prepare areas for cold winters.
Begin to collect your materials. Pile them together and turn through frequently while they begin to breakdown (especially important for compost piles).
Leaves and soft brush can be mulched with a lawn mower, while branches, tree/bush trimmings and bark should be run through a wood chipper. The YARDMAX Chipper Shredder is a family favorite and the reviews are there to prove it.
Grass clippings can be easily added to the leaf mulch and combined with wood chips for a longer lasting mulch.
Prepare the area you are going to mulch. Make sure to remove any old winter mulch and weed thoroughly.
Generally 2-3 inches of mulch is deep enough, spread out evenly with a rake, but ensuring to have only thin layer around the base and crown of your plants.
Mulching is something that should be done yearly to promote healthy soil and optimal growth for your gardens, flower beds, bushes and trees.
The YARDMAX Chipper Shredder is easy to use and store away year after year. Powered by the reliable Briggs & Stratton CR950 engine, this machine has a 10:1 reduction rate, compliments of the 2 large steel chipper blades. A hopper opening of 21” x 14” and 3” diameter chipping capacity ensures you’ll be shredding through wood “mulch” more efficiently than ever before.
