A really good all-round mulch is the coarse wood mulches such as pine bark or eucalypt chips. They really do a good job of insulating the soil by trapping plenty of air around the particles as well as allowing moisture down into the soil.
Best Mulch For Native Plants
Wood chip mulch, especially recycled bark, eucalyptus mulch and pine bark mulch, is the best mulch for natives, promoting microorganism activity and enhancing nutrients in the soil.
Karri And Peat. Made with Karri (and sometimes Jarrah) bark mixed with peat, Karri and Peat is the king of black mulches. It is the longest lasting black mulch and the extra peat can help improve soil quality.
Stone is the longest-lasting mulch, followed by landscape fabric. Black plastic and rubber mulch last a long time, and help with both heat and water retention in the soil, though they're also more expensive than stone or landscape fabric.
Summer Mulching
Apply three to four inches of dried leaves or compost or grass clippings or straw around plants at midsummer to protect plants from hot weather and reduce the soil temperature by 10°F or more.
Organic mulches are better at absorbing water. Common organic mulches include grass clippings, greenwaste, leaves, straw, hay, bark, and wood. Organic mulch can act as a giant sponge by absorbing and holding excess water, then slowly releasing water into the soil or air.
Made from used tires and petroleum rubber waste, rubber mulch is sold as a long-lasting weed suppressant and as a shock-reducing playground surface. But because these products may come from a range of untraceable source materials, they can contain heavy metals and toxic ingredients that leach into soil.
Hardwood Chip and Cypress tend to be longer lasting and will not need to be replaced for up to 3 years however you may wish to top up earlier for aesthetic reasons. ANL's Forest Fines and Forest Blend are excellent for sloped areas as they matt together stopping the mulch from moving down a slope.
Add a layer of organic mulch, like sugarcane or pea straw to help retain soil moisture and suppress weeds too.
The other essential element of gardening on sandy soil is to mulch well and often. My favourite mulches are lucerne hay and pea straw. Both of these will add nutrients as well as minimizing evaporative water loss.
Use the right mulch
Cypress on the other hand, is naturally resistant to termites, which makes cypress mulch a more sensible choice when mulching your gardens closest to the house.
Cypress Pine Mulch is one of the most popular mulches due to its appealing look and natural termite resistant properties. This mulch is a blend of finely shredded wood chips that bond together well, making it ideal for holding moisture in the soil and suppressing weeds.
Sandy loams or good garden soils are generally suitable. In areas with heavy clay, many natives grow better in raised beds which assures drainage. Many natives do best in a slightly acidic soil (pH 5.5-6.5), but there are some that tolerate alkaline soils.
Over time, mulch colors fade due to frequent exposure to sunlight. Regular non-dyed mulch may become a grayish color in one to two months, while dyed brown or black mulches may keep their color for a year or longer.
However, as Australian soils are dry, these plants will require mulching. Hardwood or Pinebark Mulch from Richgro, will work best for citrus trees and help you reduce the household's water consumption. Note that mulch shouldn't touch the trunk of the tree.
As you can see, the advantages of mulching far outweigh the disadvantages. Mulch is attractive and benefits the garden by reducing the loss of soil moisture, moderating soil temperatures and inhibiting weed growth. And, if organic mulch is used, it will improve the soil structure and add nutrients as it decomposes.
Mulching grass clippings provides more nutrients for your soil. As they break down, the clippings will release nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. These are essential nutrients that your lawn needs to stay healthy.
Bark or chip mulches made from cedar or cypress trees are helpful for repelling insects. Both cedar and cypress wood contain natural oils and chemicals such as thujone that deter bugs.
You should spread your mulch to be two to four inches thick. If your mulch is too thin, then weeds can push through. If your mulch is too thick, it prevents water from reaching the soil. Water after mulching — This is an optional step, but a final watering can help settle the mulch into place.
Effective mulches include shredded hardwood bark, pine needles, coarse compost, and shredded native tree trimmings. Mulching helps hold moisture in the soil, controls weeds and buffers soil temperature. It also protects and stimulates microbes and enriches the soil with nutrients as it decomposes.
They decompose over time, releasing valuable nutrients into the earth, and, as they effectively suffocate the weeds, are a particularly useful tool for retaining moisture in your garden. Bark, chippings are particularly good at trapping any moisture.