Get matched with top mulch and topsoil pros in Troy, MT

The best mulches for trees are wood chips, bark nuggets, or pine straw. Depending on your goals, you may want to avoid using plastic, stone, rubber, or wet grass clippings. Plastic mulch prevents water from reaching the mulched areas of your tree, stones don’t offer any nutritional benefits to the soil, rubber can release byproducts into the soil when it decomposes, and wet grass clippings can lead to rot. 

Plastic may prove beneficial in cold climates in the winter, but wood chips are the ideal option for most environments.

You can use regular sand as the base for your pavers and in between pavers to seal the joints. Many pros reach for polymeric sand, also known as all-purpose sand, because it has been sifted and washed to remove impurities. But you can easily level ground and fill gaps between pavers for a clean look using regular sand, sometimes at a lower cost.

You should exercise care when deciding how to landscape over a leach field for your septic system. You typically want lightweight materials that won’t damage the drain field’s perforated pipes. When adding plants to the area, select plants with shallow roots, such as grass or flower gardens. Trees with deep roots could damage the pipes in the field.

Measure the area needing coverage and consult with suppliers on average depth requirements for each material. Calculations often use cubic yards for accuracy and practicality.