Cypress Mulch: What Is It?

Cypress mulch is one of the most popular mulches on the market to use for gardening purposes.  Cypress mulch is derived from the cypress tree.  The cypress tree is native to Southeastern United States.  Unlike most mulch on the market, cypress mulch is made from the entire cypress tree, not just the bark, leaves, and branches.  This makes the mulch more appealing and more easily available as the whole tree is used for the mulch.  Cypress mulch can be found in garden, home improvement, and garden stores. 

Cypress mulch is mostly used as a protective agent in gardens and the mulch is placed over soil and around plants.  The mulch keeps moisture from escaping the soil, the mulch stops roots from freezing, prevents weeds from growing around the plants in which the mulch is placed, and deters insects from infecting the area.  This type of mulch has become so popular that whole Cypress tree have been cut down to produce the mulch.  Usually, with other mulches, byproducts from the logging industry are used to make other wood mulches and bark mulches.  At first, before cypress mulch became so popular, the byproducts were used to manufacture this mulch.

More specifically, cypress mulch benefits are plentiful.  Cypress mulch is great at retaining moisture in soil.  The mulch should be laid to a thickness of two to four inches.  Soil that is already moist will remain moist once the cypress mulch is laid.  This type of mulch is a great choice for suppressing weeds in your gardening beds.  To effectively prevent the growth of weeds in a bed, the mulch must be laid in a bed that is already free of weeds.  The cypress mulch particles will shade the soil preventing weeds to germinate.  Cypress mulch is a great choice when it comes to moderating the soil temperature under where the mulch is to be placed.  Cypress mulch also helps in keeping the soil healthy, more so than the use of other mulch.  This mulch also provides the means for healthier plant roots.  Lastly, and most important for a lot of people choosing to mulch their landscape beds, cypress mulch is very aesthetically pleasing and the mulch provides an extremely pleasing smell for all. 

There are a few downsides of choosing to use cypress mulch, just as there is with any type of mulch you choose to use for gardening.  Certain parts of the cypress trees serve as better mulch than others.  With most other mulches, it doesn’t matter as much.  The best part of the cypress tree to use for mulch would be the mulch that contains the highest percentage of “heartwood”.  This is the inner, darker, more rigid part of the tree, which can be found in trees older than 75 years old.  Mulch made from other parts of the tree are not considered to be as effective in being the mulch one would want it to be.  This type of mulch made from other parts of the cypress tree is considered filler mulch.  The filler cypress mulch does not deter insects from infecting the mulch as much.  Cypress mulch, on top of being an all around great mulch for gardening purposes, is very aesthetically pleasing.  Cypress mulch also smells fantastic.  People incorporate this mulch into their décor and or overall design.

There is a lot of controversy around choosing to use this type of mulch.  Environmental activists oppose the use of cypress mulch because the production of this mulch may require the tearing down of an entire cypress tree just for the mulch production.  The production of the mulch, in turn, infringed on the habitat of endangered species that habitat the trees used for this mulch for their homes.  There are other instances where this tree is torn down for mulch production that cause bigger and badder problems for surrounding wildlife.  Alternatives to using cypress mulch include eucalyptus mulch, pine bark mulch, pine straw mulch, and promulch.

Despite the environmental controversy of choosing cypress mulch to mulch gardening and landscape beds, there are plenty of benefits of choosing to use this mulch.  While environmental concerns are of great importance, choose an environmentally friendly type of cypress mulch to prevent the harm to the environment. 

Call 1-800-MULCH-PRO and get connected with mulch professional that services your local area.  1-800-MULCH-PRO is a network of the most elite and reputable landscape supply companies in the country.  Call 1-800-MULCH-PRO or visit us online at www.1800mulchpro.com for more information.

Visit www.1800mulchpro.com for more articles and resources on landscape supplies and mulch.  Don’t forget to use the mulch calculator to determine how much mulch you will need for your next landscape job