Category Archives: landscaping

Too Much Mulch?

Springtime Tips on Using Mulch

The recent mild weather makes lawn and garden enthusiasts eager to get their hands in the dirt. One of the first projects for many is mulching. Before you spend your money on bags and bags of mulch, you might want to consider these recommended best practices.

Types of Mulch to Avoid

Besides improving the curb appeal of your home, mulch also acts as a weed deterrent. However, some mulch actually brings the weeds with it! Freshly shredded mulch, which our township will delivery to homeowners, is made of the twigs, brush, and woody plants that they pick up seasonally. They take these castoffs and grind them into a woody mulch. The color varies, depending on the kinds of wood they get. But . . .

Think twice before using this kind of mulch around your house or plants.

Because this mulch is fresh, it can be loaded with insects, strong herbicides, and plant diseases. None of those are good to have next to your house. Some people also use straw mulch, mainly in gardens. This has the same issues. If using either of these, let the mulch “age” for a few months before adding it to your landscaping. Heat and light and rain work to leach out the harmful stuff.

Artificially dyed mulch is a common addition to landscaping. But beware! Look at the bag before buying to see if the dye is natural or has sprayed-on color. Natural dye is fine, but spray colorants can be toxic, especially to pets and children.

The same is true of rubber mulch. Besides being expensive and often stinky, as this material breaks down over time, it releases toxic heavy metals and chemicals into the soil and groundwater.

Avoid Mulch Mania . . . Save Your Money

Tip #1: Don’t mulch too early in the season

It’s hard to resist getting your landscaping started when the weather is so nice. However, horticulturists recommend waiting until mid-May or later to add mulch. If you lay the mulch too soon, during the heavy rains of March and April, there is a chance that fungus will take hold in and beneath the mulch. Mulch mushrooms and white spots can ruin the look you want to achieve.

Tip #2: Take out large weeds before mulching

One of the benefits of using mulch is that it inhibits the growth of weeds. While this is true of small weeds, don’t be surprised if larger more robust weeks pop right through the mulch. Some of these weeds include: crabgrass, dandelions, and thistles. Your options are to remove the weeds before mulching (with or without chemicals) or pull the weeds over the season after they emerge from the mulch.

Tip #3: Don’t use more mulch than you need

Here is where you can save some real money. You do not need more than one inch of mulch in order for it to work well. Thick blankets of mulch do more harm than good. They hold onto the moisture rather than letting it filter through to the roots of shrubs, flowers, trees, or gardens. Fungus will set up in the middle of the damp mulch, creating a barrier that smothers nearby roots. By using just a one-inch thickness, you allow water and sunlight to work hand-in-hand for the benefit of your plants.

If you hire landscapers to do the mulching for you, make sure they know about this. You are paying for the amount of mulch they use, usually at a rate much higher than their cost. Insist that they do not use too much and you’ll save some money.

Most importantly of all, make sure they do not make the following mistake . . .

Tip #4: Don’t place mulch too close to the foundation of your house or above the sill plate

The sill plate is made of pressure-treated wood pieces (often 2x6s) that go around your house perimeter on top of the concrete slab. They are the foundation of the wood frame of the building. In brick homes, like ours, the sill plate is right behind the bottom row of bricks.

The most important tip of all is this: Keep mulch away from the sill plate. For our purposes, that means the mulch should be kept a few inches below the bottom row of bricks. If mulch is mounded above the sill plate, you run the risk of costly damage caused by insect infestations, especially termites. Landscapers often don’t abide by this rule because they think it looks better to have thick, high mulch around the house. You’re paying for too much mulch if they do this.

If you already have mulch that’s too close to the foundation, rake it away to create the safety zone described above.

Tip #5: Apply the same tips when mulching around trees

Mulch should never be mounded up against the trunk of a tree. Give the base of the trunk space for air and water to get to the roots. Otherwise, the tree is likely to rot from its base. Also, mulch against the trunk and you give insects the opportunity to invade the tree, causing disease and structural damage to the tree, weakening it. The same is true from shrubs and other plants.

Follow these tips and you will save money, have fewer problems with insects, and still have attractive landscaping.

Windowsills, Bushes, and Shrubs

One of the owners recently used the Contact Us form on this website to ask a great question. She asked:

What is the board’s position on “why” shrubs need to be trimmed below the window sill?

She is referring to the rule we discussed in the previous post about vining plants. However, in this case, the question is asking why these trees & shrubs must be trimmed as stated below:

TREES & SHRUBS: Trees and shrubs have to be kept trimmed year-round. Shrubs cannot be above the window sills and must be at least 18” below the soffits. Trees must be trimmed so that they do not hang over the roof or interfere with the passage of vehicles on the streets. Vining plants are prohibited from growing on the brick as this damages the mortar between the bricks. (Updated 9/21/2021)

— Current Northland House Rules

A Year-Round Task

First of all, please notice that these plants must be maintained and trimmed year-round, not just once at the beginning of summer or after receiving a writeup about them. You may receive a notice about trimming shrubs or trees at any time of the year and more than once if the growth continues.

About Those Shrubs

Many of us have shrubs or bushes in our 4-foot space. Boxwoods, butterfly bushes, arborvitae, hydrangeas, rose of Sharon bushes, roses, rhododendrons, azaleas, and many more varieties adorn the yards here at Northland.

They grow at different rates; some require more tending than others. Trimming, dead-heading, and pruning help these plants stay healthy and look beautiful. But why do we have rules about their heights?

In Front of the Windows

Shrubs are to be kept at or below the window sills at all times. The appearance of our community matters. Some basic uniformity helps all of the buildings look neat and cared for. As the condo owner above stated in her request, this rule provides “consistency in the neighborhood. Shrubs stay green all year round, adding to the beauty.”

The second reason has to do with weather damage. If plants or shrubs are too high above the window sill, moisture can become a problem. Heat and sunlight cannot reach the bottom of the window frames (behind the bricks), which are made of wood. That area can become rotted from water damage. Mold could grow behind the wood, even so far as getting into your drywall. This can become expensive to repair. Keeping shrubs at or below the sill gives the air and sun a chance to dry out any moisture.

Around the Rest of the Buildings

We also have a rule about the height of bushes where there are no windows. All plants must be at least 18 inches from the nearest soffit (roof line). Tall plants could grow into and under the soffits, gutters, and even roof tiles if they get out of hand. Again, the result could be rot, mold, or insect infestations.

Please understand that the Board needs your help to maintain the structures of the condos. Regular maintenance keeps our community looking appealing while ensuring our buildings are safe and sound.

For tips on pruning your plants and shrubs, check out this website: https://www.greengoldlandscapinginc.com/what-is-pruning-why-is-it-important/

If you need help with your exterior maintenance, please contact the Board. We have the names of some reputable and reasonably priced workers whom you can hire to take care of these issues.