How to Keep Mulch from Blowing Away (5 Ideas that Work)
In a windy environment, one of the sources of worry for many gardeners is how to keep their mulch from blowing away.
There are different kinds of mulch that homeowners use for different purposes. Some use mulch for gardening purposes while others use it for decorative purposes.
Landscape wood chips help reduce the germination of weed seeds as well as slow down evaporation from the soil.
Mulch also protects plants like flowers, shrubs, and vegetable roots from damage by marauding pets, wildlife, and children.
With all these benefits you can get from using mulch, if your landscape faces high winds, the mulch can be carried away with the wind.
Today, we explore some of the ways you can prevent your mulch from being scattered in the wind.
Effective Ways to Keep Mulch from Blowing Away
Mulch comes in different types. Organic materials such as wood chips, bark, straw, buckwheat, pine needles, sawdust, rice hulls, coconut chips, and they like, are some of the degradable mulch you find out there.
Here are some ways to keep your mulch from being carried away by the wind. So that they can stay in one place for the purpose you want them to serve.
1). Wet the Mulch
2). Cover the Mulch with A Net
Organic mulch, whether it’s chips, straw, or other material, can be covered with natural jute netting or polypropylene plastic netting.
Mulch netting is also great to hold mulch on slopes to prevent them from moving downhill. To do this, simply rake the mulch over the soil and around the plants.
Pull the mulch 3 to 6 inches away from the stems of the plants before installing the netting.
Now, spread the netting over the chips or mulch. To enable the net to settle well on the mulch, trim or cut any hindering shrubs or plants before anchoring the net with the landscape fabric staples.
Place some landscape edging, rocks, or bricks around the perimeter of the garden bed. This will hold the netting in place when a strong wind blows.
3). Use Tackifier
Tackifier is a mulch glue that sticks wood chips together but still allows water to flow down to the ground. It comes in either liquid or powdered form.
So, spraying your mulch with this product is another effective way of keeping the mulch from being blown away.
However, this product should be used with caution. Wear protective gloves, a mask, and goggles. This will protect your eyes, lungs, and hands.
If the product is in powdered form, put it in a drop spreader and roll it over the chips. You can also use it to mix it with water according to the package instructions and the direction of the application.
Tackifiers can also be used to tack down seeds and straw or other loose coverings when seeding large areas.
Generally, when applying the liquid tackifier, do not dilute it unless the instruction on the package says so. You can apply it using a garden sprayer or commercial sprayer with a fan tip and apply it generously over the mulch.
The tackifier should dry for 24 to 48 hours before animals and children can be allowed near it.
You can also use the mulch lock to keep the leaf mulch from blowing away.
4). Landscape Edging may Help
5). Choose the Right Type of Mulch
Organic mulch such as wood, bark, straw, hay, and others are not the only materials considered mulch. But most often than not, that is what comes to mind when we hear mulch.
Other inorganic materials such as pebbles and rocks can also be used as mulch to decorate the place while still allowing water and air to pass through the soil to keep the soil at an optimum temperature. This prevents weeds from growing as well.
Using the right type of mulch, especially in windy areas will prevent the soil from being blown away by the wind.
If the mulch is not meant to grow plants or gardens, then using inorganic mulch like pebbles or rocks will be a good choice because of their weight, it will keep the sand in one place and still allow water and air to pass through while also preventing weed growth.
The only disadvantage is that it doesn’t decompose and add nutrients to the soil.
However, if you prefer organic mulch maybe for the purpose of gardening, it’s best to choose mulch with large wood chips or ground pine bark which is quite heavy and wind-resistant.
If you choose a lighter mulch, planting wind barriers will greatly help by sheltering the plants and mulch from winds blowing them away.
6). Choose Landscaping Fabric
Landscaping fabric has many uses. They are made such that they can even stay in one place for years and that is why some gardeners consider them to be a permanent solution to their weeds problems.
They can be used to beautify the environment, as an underlayment beneath walkways and patios.
It can also be used to separate soil from drainage areas.
Overall, landscaping fabric can also be used as a mulch alternative.
Final Thoughts Keeping Mulch from Blowing Away
To different people, mulch is any material that covers the soil surface either for the purpose of gardening or decoration.
It all depends on the purpose the mulch is meant to serve that will determine what type of mulch you want to use.
For gardening purposes, organic mulch such as wood chips, grounded pine, bark, straw, etc, are all good options. Just make sure you choose one that is heavy enough not to be easily carried away by the wind.
You can use the net to hold it a tackifier to glue the mulch together, and also edge it.
but if the purpose is just to prevent the soil from being blown away or for decoration, then pebbles, rocks, or landscaping fabric are great options.
Choose the option that works well for your situation.
