What to use?

[lilred731]

I did my first mulch job (a big learning experience). And was wondering what type of product do you use before you place the mulch down if you just removed the weeds from the area. Such as Round-Up, Spectracide, and various products like that.:confused:

[greenman]

Nothing, if there are no weeds or grass.

[AGLA]

Nothing if you don't have an herbicide license.

[teeca]

AGLA is correct

on to your question; round up kills plants, not soil. so it will not inhibit future plant grouth. i use my trimmer and take all the vegitation to the ground, then add atleast 5" of mulch (this stops/slows new grouth). then do a monthly service fee on the account. landscape fabric is to expensive to put down, and you would most likly not sell a job if you bid including it, because knowbody else does.

[teeca]

what do you charge per yard on the installed mulch? just wondering, i charge $50 per yard installed for AA mulch.

[Lombardi]

I use Preen. It won't kill anything, it just keeps weeds from germinating. I rarely use fabric anymore.

[fblandscape]

Teeca, why are you applying >5" of mulch? You should only have a 2 - 3" layer overall. Over 4" you start getting into trouble.

[teeca]

fblandscap, what kind of trouble? please advise. i'll take any info you can provide. thanks

[fblandscape]

Once you get into the >4" range for mulch you start having problems with insects, water, diseases, etc.

[lilred731]

Sorry for the lateness in replying.

teeca - I do not use the fabric at all. I learned long ago that it is not worth the trouble also the weeds well eventually start growing through the fabric.
I did not know that you had to have a license to use chemicals. Thanks for the info.
This particular type of mulch I will charge $60 per yard. I have not compared it to any other in the area because I have not looked for any other.

I only put down a half of a yard on this job. So it was not as hard as others.

When applying mulch you must remember that the initial rain showers will cause some of the mulch to run-off or flow out of the bed. This is what I have learned in the past. It is also why some may want to layer the mulch a little thicker at the customers expense.

[teeca]

i like the way trees look with alot of mulch around the base, and the look of raised mulch beds. i put 5" mulch and sell the monthly maintence, it seems that weeds are easer to pull with the thicker mulch, i had no idea that it caused trouble with the health of the plants.

[NCSULandscaper]

Originally posted by teeca
i like the way trees look with alot of mulch around the base, and the look of raised mulch beds. i put 5" mulch and sell the monthly maintence, it seems that weeds are easer to pull with the thicker mulch, i had no idea that it caused trouble with the health of the plants.

If you put too much mulch around the plants esp around the stems and trunks, the moisture that the mulch hold in will rot the base of the stem or trunk and make it wide open for disease to enter.

Usually to take care of weeds i spray roundup on existing weeds, mulch then apply preen ontop of that to kill any germintating weeds that might happen to pop up.

[fblandscape]

Mulch volcano's? :(

[teeca]

ncsu,
how does preen effect flowers? since most weed/broad leaf killers will kill flowers?

[kickin sum grass]

preen/treflan/ and there are more are pre-emergents. They kill the seed as soon as it trys to germinate. they will do nothing to established plants when used according to label. However I know treflan can kill turf if overapplied next to the edges of the beds. I have seen people do this.