Natural Mulch from a big box store

A horticulturist recommends a natural mulch you can buy from Lowes or Home Depot.

Since the publication of our on the dangers of dyed mulch, we have been fielding a lot of questions from homeowners on our Facebook Live and via email too about what mulch we recommend for the average homeowner.

What mulch can you just drive up to Lowes and buy that will be beneficial to your soils, plants, and the environment?  We found one for you.  Keep reading…

Todd is Sugar Land’s Aggie Horticulturist with more than 30 years of experience, designing and installing creative landscapes with plants that thrive in Texas. He always listens to clients’ needs and utilizes plants that withstand the heat and become more beautiful with time. Folks love him! Don’t take my word for it, check out more than 200 Nextdoor Recommendations hereTexas Native Hardwood Natural Mulch is an easy to buy and good quality landscaping mulch.

  • 🔑 Key Takeaways with Garden Guy
  • Mulching landscaping helps protect the soil and plants
  • Mulch is an excellent way to provide a layer of protection to the base of plants and trees
  • Mulch slows down water evaporation from the soil
  • Mulch looks pretty 🙂
  • Dyed Mulches don’t break down easily or naturally
  • Poor wood product from dyed mulches robs nitrogen from soils and plants
  • Plants struggle for nitrogen in a dyed-mulch environment 
  • Choose a natural mulch with no dyes period
  • We like Texas Native® Hardwood Mulch for a big box store choice 

Article begins…

Mulching landscaping helps protect the soil and plants and can dramatically improve the appearance of a yard.

Mulch is an excellent way to provide a layer of protection to the base of plants and trees, and to the garden soil below. It also helps provide insulation, reducing shock to roots from temperature fluctuations.

Types of organic mulch include bark, leaves, straw, or grass clippings and will eventually decompose.

Dyed mulch is a no-no.  Jackon & Perkins agrees with Garden Guy here:

What about Dyed Mulches?

“It’s best to avoid dyed mulch. Unlike natural mulches that come from trees and yard waste, dyed mulches generally come from old wood like pallets, decking, and sometimes pressure-treated lumber which was likely treated with CCA which stands for Chromium, Copper, and Arsenic. Dyed mulches do not break down effectively and could possibly leach harmful chemicals into the soil,” warns Jackson and Perkins.

More about CCA here.

Mulch slows down water evaporation from the soil, which can help retain consistent moisture levels for the plants. In addition, mulch helps put a stop to weed growth, by blocking sunlight and overcrowding, reducing the number of pesky little weeds coming up.

Lastly, mulch provides an aesthetically pleasing finish to the garden, helping to unify all the different elements.

What mulch can you just drive up to Lowes and buy that will be beneficial to your soils, plants, and the environment?  We found one for you.

Garden Guy Recommends Texas Native® Hardwood, Cedar, or Native Pine Mulch (undyed).

Austin Wood Recycling makes the Texas Native Brand Mulch in the greatest state anywhere, Texas.

Austin Wood Recycling has served Texas and customers across the Southwestern United States with land clearing, grinding, hauling, tractor mowing and landscaping products for 25 years.

They are dedicated to preserving our natural resources and they create top-of-the-line, best-selling mulch and compost products from the materials created by our land-clearing services and recycling yards. ” 

The brand you can buy at the big box store, links and descriptions here below 👇

Texas Native® Hardwood Mulch
An all-natural, double-ground hardwood mulch that has been aged 9-15 months to create a long-lasting and vibrantly dark color that stays a consistent year in and year out. Our hardwood mulch doesn’t wash away and it aids and improves soil conditions by adding natural hummus and nutrients to the soil as it decomposes.
  • Hardwood mulch from the Texas Native series suppresses weed growth, regulates soil temperatures and retains moisture
  • Naturally aged, vibrantly dark color is long-lasting for a finished look and feel year in and year out
  • Finely ground, shredded wood fibers stay in place, creating a mat that won’t wash away
  • 2-cu ft bag covers 12-sq ft at 2-in depth, perfect for use in vegetable gardens, flowerbeds and around trees
  • All-natural material returns nutrients to the ground as it decomposes, helping improve soil conditions
  • Aids and improves soil conditions
  • Adds natural hummus and nutrients to the soil as it decomposes
  • Prevents weeds and helps to retain moisture and regulate temperatures in the soil
  • Great for use in vegetable gardens, flower beds and around trees
Texas Native® Cedar Mulch
Our all-natural, reddish-brown, double-ground cedar mulch is not only wonderfully aromatic- but it’s also a natural insect repellent! Great for all your bedding, garden, and tree landscaping needs.
  • All-natural, finely shredded, medium-brown, 100% pure cedar mulch, that, unlike other brands, does not have added pine or other unnecessary fillers that weaken our cedar mulch
  • The wonderfully aromatic cedar smell
  • Contains natural insect and fungus-repellent properties
Texas Native® Pine Mulch
Our all-natural, double-ground, light brown pine mulch is not only wonderfully aromatic- it’s also great for altering the acidity in your soil. When added to your beds, pine mulch helps increase the acidity in alkaline soils for plants, fruits, and vegetables that require more acidic soil such as roses, azaleas, blueberries, etc.  

So now you know which Natural Mulch from a big box store is best for your home landscaping!

Garden Guy likes Texas Native® brand natural mulches (with no dye).  You can buy from Lowes!Texas Native Mulch a great homeowner mulch that can be bought by the bag at the bog box stores.

Since the publication of our on the dangers of dyed mulch, we have been fielding a lot of questions from homeowners on our Facebook Live and via email too about what mulch we recommend for the average homeowner.

What mulch can you just drive up to Lowes and buy that will be beneficial to your soils, plants, and the environment?  We found one for you and now you know!

 

 

Todd is Sugar Land’s Aggie Horticulturist with more than 30 years of experience, designing and installing creative landscapes with plants that thrive in Texas. He always listens to clients’ needs and utilizes plants that withstand the heat and become more beautiful with time. Folks love him! Don’t take my word for it, check out more than 200 Nextdoor Recommendations here.

Texas Gardener Magazine declares,  If you need landscaping services in the Houston area, use Garden Guy Todd Farber.

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Thanks for reading!- Sabrina