A Guide to Making DIY Mulching for Your North Carolina Garden

Mulching is one of the greatest features you can add to your lawn. Beyond the aesthetic benefits, it provides a wealth of advantages for your lawn, including nourishment, protection against the elements, and weed prevention.

And even better, did you know you can make DIY mulching, instead of always buying expensive bags from the store? Our professional will guide you through the simple and eco-friendly ways you can create your own mulch right at home!

Now, how is mulch made? Well, it can be made from organic matter or inorganic elements. The most common organic mulch materials are wood chips, straw, compost, and leaves (which, due to their nature, promote a rich soil). While inorganic matter can be landscape fabric, pebbles, gravel, and stone.

Making mulch at home is not only affordable but also sustainable and extremely convenient, as you can recycle household and yard waste. Moreover, you can control the quality of it and avoid additives some store-bought mulch options include. Isn’t it all great? Continue reading and get ready to enhance your front yard with your homemade mulch!

As we settled before, you can create mulch with everyday materials you find in your landscape, including pine needles, wood mulch, and garden waste. Below are the quickest ways to make it:

Wood chips are a classic DIY garden mulch! They not only boost visual appeal, but help insulate the ground and prevent water evaporation. If you have trees in your yard, all you have to do for homemade wood chips is:

1. Collect small branches, twigs, or bark
2. Use a wood chipper or shredder to break them down
3. Layer them around plants, shrubs, or flower beds

Pro-tip: Don’t have a chipper at home and you’re not ready to invest in one? No problem! Check with your local tree removal companies—some often give away wood chips for free!

Fresh grass clippings are rich in nitrogen, meaning they are incredible natural fertilizers for your landscape! All you need to create them is to continue working with your lawnmower. Below is how you can use this type of homemade mulch:

1. Let clippings dry out for a few days before spreading.
2. Apply a thin layer to prevent mold.
3. Use around vegetable gardens and flower beds.

Reminder: Grass clippings are one of the organic mulches that decompose quickly, so you may need to replenish it often.

Compost mulch is the blueprint of organic matter! And while specific types of compost, such as mushroom compost, are expensive, you can create your own with a variety of elements:

1. Collect kitchen scraps, such as fruit and veggies, coffee grounds, eggshells, and yard waste.
2. Layer in a compost bin or pile.
3. Let it break down over time into rich, dark organic matter.
4. Spread a thin layer around plants for a nutrient boost.

Have lots of greenery in your landscape? Perfect! Fallen leaves are a free and incredibly effective mulching option. All you have to do is gather them and use them as follows:

1. Shred dry leaves using a mower or leaf shredder.
2. Spread around garden beds to retain moisture.
3. If possible, mix with other organic materials for balanced nutrients.

Reminder: Since leaves are organic matter, they break down naturally, improving soil texture and fostering a more productive garden. They are an excellent DIY mulch option!

Believe it or not, even your old newspaper and recycled office paper can be a great mulch option. Protect yourself from identity theft and keep your personal information private by:

1. Shredding any paper you have, except glossy or colored pages.
2. Combining it with other organic materials, like leaves, if you can.
3. Wetting the paper before applying it on the ground so it doesn’t blow away with the wind.

Reminder: This method is great for keeping the ground moist, suppressing weed growth, and, of course, recycling waste!

Did you recently move or buy a big home appliance? Reuse that cardboard on your lawn! In fact, this practice is so powerful at weed-blocking that it’s often used in lasagna gardening (layering organic materials to enrich the soil). To use cardboard mulch:

1. Flatten cardboard boxes and remember to remove any plastic tape.
2. Lay sheets over weed-prone areas.
3. Cover with compost or wood chips for extra protection.