Using the right mulch color will add to the aesthetics of your yard and home. While there is a variety of mulch available, you may wonder what color mulch would look best for your garden. Well, we have scoured the net and listed the best options to help you with your mulching project.
The best color mulch will depend on your taste and whether you prefer using organic materials or not. Nonetheless, the following colors are generally the best for aesthetic considerations:
- Red
- Brown
- Black
Choosing to use any of the three will necessitate that you consider your house and plant color palette. We'll delve into the considerations when these colors are most appropriate for your garden. We'll also share some great ideas in the sections below, so keep reading!
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When Should You Use Red Mulch In Your Yard?
Red mulch is the most popular color as it makes the most contrast to the green plants and grass of your garden plants and will highlight light-colored plants.
You have to consider the lawn and house color, though. So, if your house is predominantly red or brick-colored, then red may not be the best mulch color for you.
The downside of red mulch is that they are often dyed products that may stain and fade over time. Like brown mulch, this will necessitate replenishment every year.
They may also call attention to themselves rather than the plants.
See this red mulch liquid colorant on Amazon.
Types Of Red Mulch
- Red cedar
- Lava rock
- Other red-hued rocks
When Is It Better To Use Brown Mulch In Your Garden?
Brown mulch gives off a natural look that helps unify all the garden and home elements. It's neutral, unifies all the possible colors of your garden, and best complements a brick house.
This color mulch also comes in different shades and tones. The best thing about brown mulch is that they are usually made up of natural organic material, which will help enhance the soil microbial life and add plant nutrients when they break down.
The cons of using brown mulch are that they are often organic products that fade and need yearly replenishment. They also tend to be dull dark-leafed plants.
Types Of Brown Mulch
- Cypress
- Pine bark
- Undyed oak hardwood
- Cocoa hulls
Why Should I Choose Black Mulch For My Yard?
You may want to use a black-colored mulch to achieve that modern and stylish look. Black mulch frames green plants the best and makes their colors pop out. They also look great against a white, gray, or yellow house.
Black mulch will tend to hold heat and make your soil too hot.
Natural organic mulch is usually dyed with carbon and thus will fade over time and require you to re-mulch. It's worth trying various types of stones, rocks, or shale that will maintain their color indefinitely.
Most gardeners do not recommend using rubber mulch as they are not environmentally friendly.
Types Of Black Mulch
- Black shale
- Lava rock
- Dark stones
- Gravel
See this black mulch liquid colorant on Amazon.
Should I Use Artificially Colored Mulch?
Most gardeners opt for natural compost, as color-dyed compost usually contains chemicals that are not good for your soil or plant. There are mulch options, however, which use non-toxic dyes certified by the Mulch Soil Council.
Why Is It Good To Use Mulch In Your Landscaping?
Mulching does have several benefits for the garden and the farm. These benefits include:
- Conserves moisture
- Prevents weed germination
- Controls erosion loss
- Removes residual effects of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and heavy metals
- Increases worm population
- Improves soil microbial life
- Improves plant growth
- Increases the aesthetic value of gardens and farms
Aside from making your garden look good, you may choose to maximize the benefits by using natural materials for mulch.
7 Great Mulching Ideas
You may want to consider using free and available materials you can get from your yard, or you may ask from your local woodshop or municipal tree care service.
As shown in our list below, several options give a different visual appeal. All are excellent because they are safe mulches to use in your garden.
Compost
Compost is the best natural mulch. In addition to suppressing weeds, holding moisture, and feeding worms, it is an excellent fertilizer for your plants' growth. It's dark brown to nearly black color also brings out the color of your plants.
Make sure that you use compost that has undergone hot composting. This is to be assured that whatever plant pathogens and seeds are there will be completely eradicated before you use them as mulch in your garden bed.
Grass Clippings
Grass clippings also offer the same benefit as compost mulch.
They are an excellent source of nitrogen and are considered slow-release fertilizers. They are initially green in color, but the grass clippings will take on a light brown color as it dries out.
You may apply them directly after mowing but take care not to use grass clippings when seeding to prevent grass from growing in your garden bed.
When using grass clippings as mulch, ensure not to mulch more than 1 inch thick of dried grass to allow good water penetration, or if needed, mix on a 1:1 or 2:1 ratio with compost, dried leaves, or wood chips.
Sawdust
You can ask for sawdust in your local wood mill or furniture shop. They will most likely give it to you for free. But it has to be sawdust from untreated wood.
Sawdust comes in various brown and near-red colors and tones, so you will have a variety to choose from depending on what is available in your local area.
Wood Chips
You may also avail of wood chips from your municipal tree care service or wood shop. If you have a wood chipper, you may produce your wood chips from the cut branches and bark of trees around your area.
They are one of the best natural mulches around as they are an excellent carbon source once degraded and will last much longer than other natural mulches, helping you retain moisture longer without having to replace mulch often.
Straw Or Hay
Straw and hay also make for excellent mulch. They spread out and are aerated enough to allow water to reach the soil while maintaining cover to prevent moisture loss by evaporation.
Like grass clippings, you need to watch not to include seed stalks before laying out your compost.
Stones Or Gravel
If you want to lessen your mulch replacement, you may consider using stone or gravel for mulching. There are several varieties and colors to choose from but select those readily available in your area.
They prevent erosion, last indefinitely, and give you that modern look.
The downside of using stone or gravel mulch is that they retain heat and do not contain any organic material that will feed the worms or decompose to feed the plants.
Backyard Leaves And Pine Needles
One of the easiest-to-find available natural compost includes backyard leaves. You may rake them from your yard or the sidewalks near your area.
You may use a shredder or run a plastic line grass cutter on a large plastic bucket filled with leaves. Apply them as shredded mulch in your garden.
You may also use pine needles or pine straw as mulch. Unlike grass, they do not compact since they decompose, so you will not have to worry about matting significantly as they drain well.
They provide an excellent natural red-brown color. They make the soil slightly acidic, so use them around plants that love somewhat acidic soil.
If you like to use them around plants that prefer less acidity, apply a thin layer of compost before you lay down the pine needles. That way, they help to buffer against the needles' acidity.
Leaves and pine needles are so light and fluffy—you can layer at least 3 to 4 inches to keep the weeds from germinating.
In Closing
In the end, the important thing is that you enjoy your garden. Take time to consider the design elements and the plant varieties that make up your landscape. Selecting the best mulch color and type will improve the viewing experience and ensure better plant growth!
Finally, you may want to check out these other posts to improve your garden: