With the snow at the end of August striking Canmore, it’s fair to say that winter weather seems to be coming to Alberta earlier and earlier each year. Ideally, homeowners will mulch in autumn before the first frost, but if you haven’t got around to it just yet, that doesn’t mean you should shrug mulch off until next year. Mulch is important, and both your plants and your soil will greatly benefit from it over the harsher period of winter.
What is Mulch?
Mulch is any natural insulating barrier that protects soil from the air. In a 2 to 4 inch deep layer, mulch plays an important role in protecting your plants from the rapid temperature changes we see so often here in Calgary.
Common mulches include straw, shredded leaves, and shredded wood bark. At Soil Kings, we feel shredded wood bark is the best option. It’s heavy enough not to blow away, unlike straw. And it’s less attractive to mice and pests. Damp straw and shredded leaves are also more vulnerable to decay and may harbour plant diseases more easily. Of course, you do want your mulch to decompose — but slowly. As it decays, mulch adds important nutrients to the soil, but when it rots too fast, your garden and flower beds just end up with smelly, mildewy straw or leaves that you need to work around.
Benefits of Bark Mulch.
Mulch is an integral part of maintaining beautiful, healthy plants all year round. During the growing season, a layer of mulch protects plant roots from overheating, reduces evaporation, limits weed growth, and can even help your local earthworm population to thrive. In autumn and over winter, mulch will keep the soil warmer for longer. This allows plants to focus on root growth for longer into the cold season. Mulch will also protect bulbs and roots from the yo-yo temperatures chinooks can bring. As the bark slowly decays over the winter, it provides nutrients for earthworms, improves soil structure, and increase the fertility of your soil for spring.
Calgary landscapers have long understood the many benefits of mulch. It’s why it’s easy to spot high quality mulch in flower beds, around trees and shrubs, or even in vegetable gardens. At Soil Kings, we offer some of the highest quality shredded wood bark mulches available in Calgary and area. Our mulches come in a variety of wood types, fineness, and colours, and this month you can order mulch at special discount prices until the end of October! Either buy online, or to come by our location at 71 Technology Way to look and feel our superior bark mulch with your own eyes and hands. We’re confident you’ll appreciate the difference between our mulches and our competitors!
