The Florida Mulch Controversy

Its not about if to mulch, it's about when and with what.

It's almost Spring and that means time to mulch. Mulch looks good and keeps weeds under control. While there are many mulch options available at stores or via home delivery from landscape contractors some are better than others. Let's look at the types of mulch out there and examine the pros and cons.

Type of Mulch	Pros	Cons
Cypress	long lasting and good adhesion	slow to decompose therefore low nutrient value Not "Florida Friendly" e.g. using native species
Dyed	Adhesion; some like the look	Fades and low nutrient transfer to soil
Pine Bark	Maintains color; sustainable	Floats away; low nutrient transfer
Pine Straw	High nutrient transfer; good adhesion; great on slopes	Not as long lasting; possible negative environmental impact
Melaleuca	Helps kill an invasive species; long lasting with good color retention	None

So, our table above is a worst to best as you go down. Cypress destroys a native, desirable species. The ubiquitous red mulch, while showing a nice contrast to the green foliage around it, fades over time and does little to enrich our poor soils here in North Central Florida. Pine Bark and Straw are decent options but have drawbacks. Some may prefer the look of pine products.

The best option is one you may not have heard of, Melaleuca. It's a non-native tree from Australia that has invaded Florida. Choosing it is a win-win. We get a good performing mulch at a moderate price and we help rid Florida of a non native, invasive tree species. It is sold at most big box stores under the brand name FloriMulch. And if you really like the red mulch, guess what? It comes in various colors. There is also a playground ready version.