5 Inorganic Mulches to Know About: Lawn Care Sycamore, IL Pros’ Tips

Last time we met, our lawn care Sycamore, IL experts have recommended you five types of organic mulches to use on your property. Today, their lawn care Sycamore, IL experts want to present you with five inorganic mulches you may want to consider for your lawns and landscapes. Inorganic mulches come with their own set of benefits and some flaws, but in order to make a good choice, you need to know about all their pros, cons, advantages and weaknesses.

Inorganic Mulches vs. Organic Mulches: Are there Any Benefits?

Inorganic mulches come with a set of advantages that might convince you to choose inorganic mulches to organic ones. Some of their benefits are as follows:

• They don’t decompose over time
• They save moisture in a similar manner as organic mulches
• Some of them look very nice
• They come with potential cost savings as they don’t re-apply as often as organic ones
• They are usually pH neutral
• Many follow the environmental principles of recycling
• Low maintenance
• Functionally versatile
• Many of them are often available in common commercial centers

Corrugated Cardboard

It is better used for weed suppression and keeping the roots cool and moist. If you want to use it, remember to remove some debris, including staples, tape, and plastic and so on.

Pros: It is cheap, available almost everywhere, easy to use and recyclable.

Cons: When it suppresses weeds it can also suppress the turf or other grasses. You should use cardboard only if you want to remove grass areas to repurpose them for outdoor structures. Not looking to great, it is better used in areas receiving fewer visits.

Newspapers

Biodegradable, easy to use, available anywhere and cheap, newspapers are used as inorganic mulch to keep weeds and pests at bay. This mulch is usually applied under other organic mulch layers – but in no more than 5-6 sheets.

Pros: They offer the soil shade, moist and coolness, being recommended for trees and flower plantings more exposed to the sun.

Cons: Some of our lawn care Sycamore IL specialists consider the ink of newspapers infiltrating into the soil may be detrimental to the roots.

Pea Gravel

It is one of the best-looking mulches preferred by lawn care and landscapists. Pea gravel can turn into a neat, clean and organized mulch keeping the soil cool while suppressing most weeds and pests. Our lawn care Sycamore, IL pros recommend you to use it for permanent plantings.

Pros: Pea gravel offers the same moisture and shade for roots as other organic mulches and it can be colored or textured upon your choosing and tastes.

Cons: Being inert, it doesn’t decompose, so it doesn’t nourish the soil. It can also render the soil too alkaline – which can be detrimental for more acid-loving plants.

Landscape Fabric and Plastic Film

They are readily available for application in your garden and landscape.

Pros: They prevent the growth of most annual weeds and allow the exchange of water and oxygen. They can be also applied directly onto the soil and fastened to the soil to avoid movement. They both work well with other organic mulches on top of the weed barrier.

Cons:  They don’t control perennial weeds and don’t allow organic matter to accumulate in soil. They can come at high prices, may not look good or be appropriate for all sites, they may need an extra use of chemical sprays to reduce weeds, may be difficult to install.