Many people enjoy traditional grass lawns, but grass isn’t the only way to enjoy your yard. Some people prefer to get rid of their grass and choose low-maintenance landscaping.
One option involves spreading mulch over ground you don’t intend to plant.
Mulch is any material spread over the soil’s surface. It influences soil characteristics and sometimes plant growth. Organic mulches accumulate naturally in forests, in gardens where leaves and organic debris are not removed, and on lawns that are “mulch mowed.”
Mulches have many positive effects on soil. In general, organic mulches conserve water, reduce weeds, improve soil quality and enhance plant growth.
When using mulch to replace a lawn, the coarser the mulch the better, says Al Shay, an instructor in the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University.
“We have a site at the Oak Creek Center for Urban Horticulture where we stripped out vegetation, like English ivy, and added 3 to 4 inches of wood chips on top of cardboard on the soil,” Al says. “We haven’t had a problem with weeds in three years.”
Wood chips shade the soil to reduce weed germination and take a long time to break down. Al suggests selecting wood chips from hardwood tree species, such as oak or maple. He advises using wood chips instead of bark dust.
To get started, weed and water the bare ground where mulch will be applied. Optionally, you could first lay down one layer of cardboard or landscape fabric as an extra weed barrier underneath the mulch.
Spread 2 to 3 inches of wood chips over the soil. Find wood chips from local arborists and lumber mills.
“Wood chips are readily available, and this keeps them out of the waste stream,” Al says. “You can minimize the time spent on managing weeds and add organic detritus to the soil. It’s a low-maintenance, sustainable approach that makes sense.”
If you don’t want to use wood chips, consider these alternatives:
- Deciduous tree leaves.
- River rocks.
- Mint compost from peppermint hay, available from local farmers and some soil suppliers.
- Hazelnut shells, available from local orchards and some nurseries and soil suppliers. Shells look attractive in pathways and stay in place.
For more information, see the Extension guide “Mulching Woody Ornamentals with Organic Materials” at https://catalog. extension.oregonstate.edu/ec1629/html.