Mulch, from Illawarra trees
Aged hardwood mulch made from the trees we take out of Illawarra backyards. It holds water through a hot February and keeps the weeds down.
What it is
Chipped hardwood from local tree work, stockpiled and aged before it goes out. Ageing matters: fresh chip is high in carbon and pulls nitrogen out of the soil as it breaks down, which is why plants sulk when someone spreads green chip straight onto a garden bed. Aged mulch does not do that.
It is a mixed hardwood mulch, so it varies in colour and texture with whatever came through that month. It is not a uniform dyed product and it is not pine bark. It looks like what it is: local trees, chipped.
What it is good for
- Holding water. A 75mm layer dramatically cuts evaporation from the soil surface, which is the difference between watering twice a week and watering daily through summer.
- Suppressing weeds. Deep enough mulch stops most weed seed getting the light it needs.
- Moderating soil temperature. Illawarra clay bakes hard and cracks. Mulch keeps the root zone far more stable.
- Building soil. It breaks down into the topsoil over a couple of years, which is the point.
How to lay it
Aim for 75 to 100mm. Thinner than that and weeds come through; much thicker and water struggles to get down to the roots. Keep it pulled back 50 to 100mm clear of trunks and stems, because mulch piled against bark holds moisture there and invites collar rot. The volcano of mulch heaped around a trunk is the single most common mulching mistake.
If we are doing tree work at your place, say so before we start and we will leave the chip on site in a pile wherever you want it, at no charge. It will need a few months to age before it goes on garden beds, but it is free and it saves us a trip.
Delivery
We deliver across Wollongong, Shellharbour and Kiama, and further on request. Minimum load and delivery cost depend on where you are and how much you want, so ring or send through your address and volume for a price. Tipped where the truck can safely reach, so have a think about access and where you want the pile before we arrive.
Mulch, answered.
How much mulch do I need?
Work on roughly one cubic metre per 12 square metres of bed at 75mm deep, or per 10 square metres at 100mm. Measure your beds and we will confirm before you order, because over-ordering mulch is a very common and slightly annoying mistake.
Is it treated or dyed?
No. It is chipped hardwood from local tree work, aged and nothing else. No dye, no treatment and no pine.
Can I get it free?
If we are doing tree work on your property, yes. Tell us before the job starts and we will leave a pile on site. Off the back of someone else's job we charge for it, because stockpiling, ageing, loading and delivering all cost something.
Will it have weed seed in it?
Very little. Weed species we remove are handled separately, and hardwood chip that has aged in a hot stockpile is inhospitable to most seed. No mulch anywhere is guaranteed weed free.
Want a price?
Ring or send your address and how much you need. Delivery across the Illawarra.