Looking for a way to increase your home's curb appeal. Start by pulling the weeds and applying some fresh mulch. These are two of the best and cheapest things you can do to make your home sell quickly.
Call your local public works department, you may be able to get a load of mulch for free. Adding mulch to your garden beds is a great and inexpensive way to really make your landscape clean and tidy. Cedar mulch has a nice clean smell and really makes the green pop. Best of all, mulch can be applied quickly.
Don’t mulch too close to perennials, it will cook them, especially in the first sunny days
of spring. The idea is to keep mulch off of plant stems. When mulch is hot, it can shock the tender stems of emerging perennials (as you’ve seen). That happens a lot because most people mulch at the same time that those young shoots are just emerging (i.e. early May).
What type of mulches could be used:
- Shredded hardwood (tanbark)
- Bark mulch
- Colored mulch
- Wood chips
- Stone over fabric
- Mulch over fabric
- Peat moss/compost
- Cocoa Shells
It should be pointed out, be aware of what you are using in your gardens, and be aware of what your gardeners are using as well.
Living less than 15 miles from Hershey, many of those shopping for mulch in our area are tempted to use the cocoa mulch. Use cocoa mulch with caution though. This mulch contains an ingredient called “theobromine” which could be lethal to dogs and cats. It smells like chocolate. The ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center lists cocoa mulch on its list of hazardous garden substances.
In order to help determine how much mulch you will need, visit the National Gardening Association's Mulch Calculator.
Increase your curb appeal for a quicker sale and happy mulching. When you have finished tidying up your landscaping, come on over and do mine…
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