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Our Mulching Services in Perth Include:
Our team can apply mulch evenly across your garden beds, with the depth suited to your plants and the mulch selected.
Let us know your location within the Perth metro area and any access restrictions so we can plan your mulching job.
The Benefits of Mulching
Natural Weed Control
One of the most immediate benefits of mulching is its ability to suppress weed growth. By covering the soil, mulch makes it difficult for weeds to break through. This saves you time weeding and means less competition for resources among your plants.
A sufficiently thick layer helps block light from reaching the soil surface, making it harder for weeds to germinate.
Mulch Breaks Down Into Valuable Compost
Over time, mulch naturally breaks down into organic matter. This process contributes nutrients and helps improve the overall health of your garden soil.
Organic mulch improves soil structure and microbial activity. This organic material also supports beneficial soil organisms as it decomposes.
Unlike gravel, organic mulch breaks down over time, feeding soil organisms and adding organic matter to the soil. We recommend it around plants to help retain moisture and support a healthy garden ecosystem.
Water Retention
Mulching significantly reduces the need for frequent watering in gardens.
Perth has hot, dry summers that require specific gardening practices. Retaining moisture in your garden beds is crucial, and mulch helps by slowing evaporation from the soil.
Coarse mulch allows for better water penetration in sandy soils. For example, a mulch like pine bark mulch helps reduce water evaporation and allows water to penetrate through to the soil beneath.
The hot and often dry conditions in Perth can lead to quick evaporation of moisture from your garden beds. Mulch acts as a protective barrier, helping your gardens retain water for longer periods. Mulching before summer helps retain moisture in gardens. Mulch is best laid over soil that is already damp, helping preserve the moisture beneath it.
Aesthetic Benefits for Perth Gardens
Beyond the functional advantages, mulch gives your gardens a neat and polished look. A fresh layer of mulch creates a tidy finish around plants, pathways and garden borders.
Preparing Your Garden Beds
To maximise the benefits of your new mulch, there are additional steps you might want to consider before mulching. Clear away rubbish, fallen branches and other unwanted debris, then check that irrigation reaches your new plantings.
Beyond our standard mulching services, we can also remove stubborn weeds like crabgrass and onion weed to prepare your garden beds. Additionally, we can apply wetting agents to improve water penetration in your soil. These steps aren’t part of our standard mulching service but can help you get the best results from your mulch.
Mulch should be applied at a thickness of 50-100mm. The appropriate depth within this range will depend on the mulch selected and the plants in your garden.
Other Gardening Services
We are a team of landscape gardeners offering landscaping as well as regular garden maintenance services. For ongoing care of your gardens, we recommend the following garden maintenance services.
Weeding
Before you spread mulch, our gardeners can remove weeds from your gardens without harmful chemicals, helping reduce regrowth through your new mulch.
Shrubs & Tree Pruning
Our shrub and tree pruning service prepares your garden for mulching by removing excess growth and improving access to garden beds.
Let us know if your garden also needs tree work so we can discuss the preparation required before mulching.
Hedge Trimming
Well-trimmed hedges make it easier to access the soil beneath them and spread mulch evenly. Our hedge trimming service prepares your garden for mulching while creating a neat and structured landscape.
Lawn Care
Complement our mulching services with a full range of lawn care services, including lawn mowing, fertilisation, soil amendments, weed treatments, thatching, aeration and top dressing.
We can also discuss how to manage grass clippings as part of your ongoing lawn care.
Garden Clean Ups
Our comprehensive garden clean-up prepares your garden for mulch application by clearing unwanted growth and accumulated debris.
Retic
Our retic repair and upgrade service goes hand in hand with mulching. Checking your irrigation before mulch is applied helps ensure water reaches the plants that need it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Often Should I Mulch My Garden Beds in Perth?
Organic mulches should be checked and topped up annually due to decomposition. Check your garden beds at least once a year and replenish mulch where coverage has become thin.
Early spring is a good time to check mulch coverage and plan any top-ups before warmer weather arrives. Ideally, you just want to mulch before we get into our hottest months.
The frequency also depends on the mulch you have used. Coarse pine bark or jarrah chips generally take longer to decompose than finer materials, which may require more regular application. Check the existing depth before adding more to avoid building up an unnecessarily thick layer.
What Is the Best Mulch for Perth Gardens?
The best mulch for your garden depends on your plants, soil and growing conditions. Pine bark and jarrah wood chips are options that help retain moisture and gradually contribute organic matter as they break down. Local organic mulches like lupin and pine bark are beneficial for gardens in Perth.
While cheaper options may appear cost-effective initially, some decompose quickly and require more frequent reapplication.
Shredded bark is common but is generally less useful for supplying readily available nutrients than compost. Its main role is as a protective surface covering, so the right choice depends on what your soil and plants need.
Our friendly team considers your planting area when recommending mulch, whether you have native plants, a vegetable garden or a garden exposed to coastal winds.
Straw, pine needles and aged mulch are other options to discuss with our team when choosing a suitable mulch for your planting area.
By selecting the right type, we help reduce moisture loss and support the long-term health of your garden.
What Is the Best Mulch for Natives in Perth?
The best mulch for natives is generally an organic, coarse-textured mulch such as native wood chips or bark. A mulch that resembles the natural leaf litter around your chosen plants is often a suitable starting point.
Avoid using fine dust or fresh sawdust as mulch in sandy soils. Ask our team about a coarse mulch suited to your soil and planting area.
Do I Need to Mulch Around My Trees?
Yes, mulching around your trees helps maintain soil moisture, suppress weeds and moderate soil temperatures around the root system.
Mulching can be useful around both established trees and recently planted trees.
Avoid direct contact of mulch with plant trunks by 80-100mm. Aim for a ‘doughnut’ shape with the mulch spread around the base of the tree, keeping the trunk and root flare clear.
Adding mulch right up against plants, especially new plantings can create rot issues and attract unwanted pests.
What Is the Best Mulch to Stop Weeds?
Coarse wood chip mulch is a good option for suppressing weeds. It creates a sunlight-blocking layer that makes it harder for weeds to germinate and decomposes slowly, offering longer-lasting coverage.
Removing existing weeds before application helps mulch prevent weeds from becoming established again. However, some weeds may still grow through the mulch and need to be removed.
Does Wood Chip Mulch Attract Termites?
Wood chip mulch does not necessarily attract termites, but mulch can create favourable conditions or provide a bridge to buildings. Correct placement matters: keep mulch clear of building foundations, termite inspection zones and weep holes, and follow advice specific to your property.
Should You Use Free Mulch?
Free mulch may be worth considering, but its source, quality and suitability for your garden should be checked first. Some councils and arborists offer surplus mulch, with collection and delivery arrangements varying between providers.
Some free mulch comes from tree removal, with branches and other green waste chipped for reuse in gardens.
Check collection requirements before heading out, including whether you need to bring gloves and a shovel to load it yourself.
Mulch from mixed loads can contain different types of plant material, making it harder to gauge its suitability for your specific garden needs. Poorly screened material may also contain rubbish or other contaminants.
Ask the supplier how the mulch has been processed and stored to reduce the risk of introducing pests into your garden.
Before accepting a load, ask where it came from, whether it has been screened and whether it is suitable for your planting area. Our team can help you choose mulch that supports your plants and soil.
