This is a new build and new sod. When it rains, the mulch scatters into the grass. Is there a good alternative to keep it in place without building a small retaining wall? Or is that the best solution?
by GobiBall
This is a new build and new sod. When it rains, the mulch scatters into the grass. Is there a good alternative to keep it in place without building a small retaining wall? Or is that the best solution?
by GobiBall
29 Comments
Mulch glue
They sell mulch glue at Home Depot.
I used metal flowerbed framing that snaps together, is flexible, and can be hammered like stakes into the ground. They make them in various heights and colors.
Do you happen to have landscape fabric/plastic under the mulch? If so, that could be causing your mulch to slide around a lot more.
Retaining wall is the best solution. Mulch glue will not only be imperfect but requires continually application. Not to mention it’ll mess with your soil & plant health.
You need to have some form of edging. A natural cut edge will serve the best.
Planting on a mound line this will always be problematic. If there’s more than 3″ of mulch laid down you can remove some it to flatten it out too.
A retaining edge. Not a wall, just a stack of rocks along the edge.
Landscaping stones?
Could also use an edger…. Make a little trench/border….. but it will fill and you’ll have to clean it out and put the wood chips back up
Hasn’t been mentioned yet: a liriope edge.
Have mow-edge curbing installed. Keeps your mulch in place and no maintenance unlike edging or a rock boundary. You can have it stamped or colored too. I ended up staining mine because I didn’t like the light gray color of natural concrete.
A small trench would at least keep it out of the grass. Idk if it would solve the mobile mulch problem but you could combat that a bit by decreasing the slope of the bed a Lil bit.
This slope is completely tame but for starters a change of mulch to include more shredded bark and less wood chips.
Mulch stabilizer / binder.
Flexible edging rolls
Shoveled edge.
I like this edging. Flexible and can hammer in with 2×4 scrap. I like depth but I like wider one to keep grass and weeds out.
https://a.co/d/09pkBu2P
A natural cut edge is all you need. Deep cut edges also look best in my opinion. I’d probably aim for like 3-5” deep edging. Slight angle
Mulch glue
The funny thing is you have the wrong concern.
It’s the grass that’s going to move into the mulch.
Prayers and a dry summer
I really like using stones and planting sedums or stone crop on the edges. Sometimes I just used crushed up concrete and hide it with nicer rocks.
I use this https://edgeright.com/products/hammer-in-landscape-edging-cor-ten-steel-4ft-strips-plus-connector-clips?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21194975017&gclid=Cj0KCQjw8PDPBhCeARIsAOJwmWVqbllOCOINxSiUSeEq-_AjKgGoe32iIzdenshdkosuS0Pip7RQzSAaArkAEALw_wcB
I use this https://edgeright.com
Have you tried shredded cypress mulch already?
It does not float.
Mulch glue
You should put a riprap border. It would look really good and compliment your house’s brick.
Cutting a deep trench edge around the grass edge then fill w snuggly packed non floating mulch.
Dig a trench along the edge. It will involve removing the same amount of soil along the entire edge. Is that shredded mulch?
What’s your opposition to a retaining wall? Is it just not liking the concept of wall block? Cost? You could try a row of boulders. And by boulders, I don’t mean BOULDERS, but you can get what we call 1-2 man boulders, that can be maneuvered off the bed of a pickup into a wheelbarrow, dropped roughly into place, and then flipped and slid into position. Looks like you maybe need 5-7. Just a thought.