Is Mulch Safe for My House?
Many people have asked me this question over the years. They are concerned about attracting termites to their house. Here is some good information about best mulching practices!
Does Mulch Attract Termites to My House?
No- termites will exist in moist areas around your house whether or not you have mulch. Mulching the areas around your house will increase the moisture content of the soil, which will create a more comfortable habitat for your local termites. It is not that the mulch is bringing in the termites, its that it is providing comfort and food! But there are some tips that can keep the buggers from devouring your house.
1. Keep at least a 6 inch space between your wood siding and the mulch so that the termites don’t have direct access to your house.
2. Keep your mulch layers down to 1-2.5 inches thick. There really has been an epidemic of overmulching, in my opinion. Mulching is really effective at blocking weeds and conserving moisture for many plants. Too much mulch is not a good thing! Layers that are 3 inches or thicker tend to form a mat that may make it difficult for water to get through. This often causes fungal growth in the mulch. Each time you apply mulch it is ideal that the mulch breaks down by the time you apply more mulch the next year. If it is applied too thick then it often isn’t broken down before you add more. This creates the same issue of excess moisture being trapped beneath the mulch as mulching thicker than 3 inches the year before did.
3. Address any drainage issues that might allow water to stand too long close to your house.
Other Mulch Tips
We prefer using the best quality mulches in our gardens! If most of your garden is in the shade I would recommend using a pine fine bark which is made from pine bark. Pine fines are acidic and support the acidic soil pH in which shade loving plants thrive. Pine fines break down really well, providing healthy structure and nutrients to your soil. This acts as a long term insurance plan for your landscape, creating the nutrients your plants need right in the soil.
We like a double or triple shredded hardwood mulch for sunny landscape beds. This mulch is finely ground, but not too finely ground. It will provided adequate coverage for your plants, conserve moisture, block weeds and also break down to improve the nutrients and soil structure hospitable to the plants roots.
When mulching always keep the mulch away from the base of the plants and trees you are mulching. Plants breath at the base and will die if covered at the base. It is ok to apply a light layer of mulch around the base of perennials that are asleep for the winter. Those plants will come up through the mulch.
One last tip- mulch once a year. No need to reapply more often. Make sure your mulch is breaking down and adding to the soil. You want to apply mulch over last years layer that is mostly broken down. Adding a fresh layer of mulch on top of an old mat of mulch that hasn’t broken down from last year is a bad idea. Remove old mulch if it hasn’t broken down and consider switching to a triple shredded hardwood mulch.
Happy mulching!