Mulches are used to cover the top of the soil throughout your yard. We recommend applying up to a 3” layer of mulch to top dress your landscape beds after planting to provide a finished look. Mulch provides many benefits, including aiding in moisture conservation, controlling temperature fluctuations, and preventing erosion and weed growth. When mulch decomposes, it can act as a natural soil conditioner, adding nutrients back into the Earth.
When it comes to choosing your mulch, it’s mostly an aesthetic choice. Unless you’re mulching a hillside, in which case we recommend using a shredded mulch over a chip-based mulch.
In addition to wood-based mulches, we also carry an assortment of decorative rocks and gravel that you can use to top dress your garden beds. While mulch is a more cost effective option for top dressing larger areas, decorative rocks are a popular choice for container gardening, pest control and featured landscape beds. Check out our decorative stone options here.
Here are some of the most popular and effective mulches that we carry here at Merrifield Garden Center.
Our most popular mulch, shredded hardwood, has a deep brown color, is cost effective and stays in place well with water runoff or on sloped areas. It is great for any landscaping project. Its dark brown color will fade to a lighter brown hue over time.
We carry shedded hardwood mulch in bulk by the cubic yard and in 2 and 3 cu. ft. bags. Order your shredded hardwood mulch for delivery here.
We carry three different blends of pine bark mulch that vary depending on chip sizes. Each of these blends are made from pine bark and are brown in color with red undertones. In general, we recommend using pine bark mulches on flat surfaces. Given the lightweight nature of the bark, when placed on a slope it can run down the hill if exposed to heavy rains.
Virginia fines mulch is the most lightweight of the pine bark mulches and has the smallest chip size and a coarse texture. This type of mulch allows for good air and water movement through the mulch and into the soil. We stock Virginia fines mulch in 2 cubic foot bags and in bulk by the cubic yard. Order your Virginia fines mulch for delivery here.
Rappahannock mulch is made from large chunks of pine bark, with each piece measuring around 2” long. Those who choose premium Rappahannock mulch are usually drawn to its durability and longer lifespan compared to other mulches with finer textures. We stock Rappahannock mulch in bags of 3 cubic feet. Order your Rappahannock mulch for delivery here.
Silver dollar mulch is made from 3”, coarse-textured chunks of pine bark. Like Rappahannock, it’s often chosen for its durability and longer lifespan. We stock silver dollar mulch in 3 cubic foot bags. Order your silver dollar mulch for delivery here.
Shredded pine mulch is a combination of pine wood and bark, resulting in a mix of blonde and reddish brown colored shreds with a pleasant aroma. It is a great mulch to use on acid loving plants like azaleas, in flower beds where it can aid in healthy plant growth, and along pathways for decoration. Order your shredded pine mulch for delivery here.
We stock shredded pine mulch in 3 cubic foot bags.
Unlike other mulches that come from bark or wood of trees, pine needles are the leaves of pine trees and are an auburn color. They’re collected during the shedding process and packed into bales. Using pine needles as a mulch derived from the southern United States and is a popular mulch choice for those seeking that aesthetic. Pine needles are more lightweight than most other mulches, staying loose and well aerated in the landscape. They’re also easier to transport and apply, given the fluffy nature of the needles.
We stock bales of pine needles in 2.5 cubic feet, equivalent to 60 to 70 square feet. Order your pine needle mulch for delivery here.
Our dyed mulches are made from recycled wood that is dyed with an environmentally safe, non-toxic, premium colorant, giving it a rich, deep brown, red or black hue. Dyed mulches are a popular choice by homeowners who want a color that is more vibrant at the time of application than other non-dyed mulches. Over time, the depth of color will fade with sun exposure. We recommend topdressing annually if you’d like to retain the vibrant coloring.
We carry bulk dyed mulches per cubic yard of material. We also carry 2 cubic feet bags of the dyed mulches. Order your dyed mulches for delivery here.
Premium cypress mulch is orangey brown in color and has a dense and fibrous texture. The heavier nature of the shreds helps it stick together and remain in place with heavy rainwater, making it an ideal choice for sloped areas where the orange hue is desirable.
We stock premium cypress mulch in bags of 2 cubic feet. Order your premium cypress mulch for delivery here.
Cedar mulch is light red in color at initial application, and will fade to gray over the span of a year. Because cedar is aromatic, it helps to deter insects, making it a popular choice around entrances to the home. Cedar mulch is also resistant to rot, mold and decay.
We stock cedar mulch in bags of 2 cubic feet. Order your cedar mulch for delivery here.
Premium oak bark is deep brown in color, finely shredded and has a pleasant fragrance. This mulch consists of the bark from oak trees and is sustainably sourced from oak logs that get de-barked in sawmills.
We stock premium oak bark mulch in bags of 2 cubic feet and in bulk by the cubic yard. Order your premium oak bark mulch for delivery here.
We carry bagged Kiddie Mat playground mulch to use in areas where children play. It is organic and made from processed and broken down bark and branches from deciduous trees. The chip size is very small, making it a softer mulch in comparison to others. This makes it more comfortable for children’s foot traffic. Wood Carpet mulch is the bulk version of Kiddie Mat playground mulch. It is very similar to Kiddie Mat, but not identical.
If you’re using Kiddie Mat or Wood Carpet to create a playground for your children, local government authorities generally recommend putting it at 12” deep to create an ample layer of support to aid in active play.
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