What is Mulch?
What Is Mulch?
Mulch is one of the simplest features of a healthy garden. At its core, mulch is a topdressed layer of organic matter spread on the soil surface. It helps suppress weeds, conserve moisture, and regulate soil temperature. For new gardens in particular, mulch plays a crucial role in protecting young plants as they get established. By holding water and reducing competition from weeds, it gives roots the best possible start.
Not the dyed stuff.
Right out of the gate, let’s disabuse the notion that dyed mulch is a healthy choice. It’s not—and frankly, it’s baffling that people are still buying this carcinogenic product in 2025. While some find dyed mulch visually appealing for reasons that are hard to understand, it comes with serious downsides. The dyes can leach unwanted chemicals into the soil, and the wood is often made from pallets or treated lumber containing questionable contaminants. Unlike compost or natural woodchips, dyed mulch contributes nothing to soil health, and its dark pigments can even overheat and dry out plant roots. Add in the higher carbon footprint from manufacturing and transport, and it’s clear: dyed mulch is the worst option for gardens.
Choosing the Best Mulch
Certainly, not all mulch is created equal. The most productive choice for most gardens is a topdressing organic compost. Compost not only functions as mulch but also feeds the soil as it breaks down, adding essential nutrients and improving soil structure. For gardeners who prefer a more traditional look, natural tree bark mulch is a common option. It doesn’t add as much fertility as compost. Additionally, it doesn’t achieve any soil remediation mineral replenishment.
Sustainable Options Matter
If you choose tree debris for mulching, woodchips from local neighborhood trees are an excellent option. Unlike bagged bark shipped across long distances, local chips carry a much lower carbon footprint. They recycle materials already available in your community, turning waste into a resource. In addition, locally sourced mulch is often free or inexpensive, making it both an eco-friendly and budget-friendly choice.
Long-Term Garden Health via Low Maintenance.
To clarify, applying organic material to the top of the earth doesn’t need to be done often at all. Often, only during planting is it even helpful. Beyond that, the natural cycles of native plants create their own debris. Sustainability means low maintenance. If you cover the soil with organic matter at the start of planting a new garden, then you mimic natural ecosystems where the ground is never left bare. Over time, leaves fall, aerial plant tissue on perennials dies to the ground every winter. All this organic debris breaks down, feeding soil microbes and creating healthier, more resilient gardens. Whether you choose compost, bark mulch, or local woodchips at the beginning, the native plants’ relationship with the earth is the real love story to follow.