Hey friends,
Darrell here from DH Garden Centre and DH Landscape Solution in beautiful Kitsilano, Vancouver. Over the past 25 years of working with gardens, from lush backyard makeovers to cozy condo balconies. If there’s one thing I always recommend (especially to my clients who want better soil, fewer weeds, and healthier plants), it’s organic mulch.
It might not be the flashiest gardening topic, but trust me—if you understand how to use mulch properly, it can completely change your garden’s health and even how much effort you spend maintaining it. Let me tell you why.
First: What Exactly Is Organic Mulch?
In simple terms, organic mulch is any natural material that breaks down over time—think wood chips, straw, shredded leaves, or even grass clippings.
Now, don’t confuse this with rubber mulch or rocks. Those are inorganic. They don’t feed the soil.
Organic mulch, on the other hand, does double (even triple) duty:
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Keeps moisture in the soil longer 🌧️
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Smothers weeds 😤
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Adds nutrients as it decomposes 🌿
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Insulates plant roots during cold spells ❄️
And here in Vancouver, where we’ve got a mix of rain, cool temps, and short summers—you bet mulch makes a difference.
A Real Story from My Landscaping Work
A couple summers ago, I was working with a young family in East Vancouver. They were trying to grow veggies for the first time, had the raised beds built, soil in, plants started—but within 3 weeks, they were battling weeds and their soil dried out fast on hot days.
They called me back frustrated.
But I knew exactly what the problem was: no mulch.
We laid down a thick layer of straw mulch around their tomatoes, kale, and carrots. Not only did it stop the weeds, but their water bill dropped, and their kids were harvesting crunchy carrots and sweet cherry tomatoes by August.
That’s the magic of organic mulch. It works quietly but powerfully.
Best Organic Mulch Options for Vancouver Gardeners
Let’s break it down—here are my favourite mulch types, especially for our West Coast climate:
🍂 Shredded Leaves (Free & Fertile)
Rake them up in fall, run over them with your lawn mower, and save them in bags until spring. Spread them around perennials, shrubs, and veggies. They break down fast and feed your soil with organic matter.
🌾 Straw or Hay (Great for Veggie Beds)
Clean, seed-free straw is perfect for raised beds. It keeps soil from compacting during heavy rain and keeps fruiting veggies like strawberries and tomatoes off the damp soil.
🌳 Wood Chips or Bark Mulch (Longer-lasting for Paths or Beds)
They’re beautiful and slow to break down. Great around trees, shrubs, or ornamental beds. Cedar and hemlock mulches even repel pests naturally.
🌱 Grass Clippings (Nitrogen Boost!)
Fresh clippings are packed with nitrogen—a major nutrient plants love. Just be careful not to pile them too thick or they’ll mat down and get slimy.
How to Mulch the Right Way
A few quick tips from me to make sure you’re getting all the benefits:
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Don’t mulch right up to the plant stem—give a bit of space to avoid rot.
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Keep it 2–4 inches thick—thin mulch dries out, too much can block air.
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Replenish every season—mulch breaks down and feeds the soil, but it needs topping up.
And remember: the goal isn’t to smother your soil, it’s to protect and feed it.
The Hidden Benefit: Better Soil Year After Year
Here’s something most beginner gardeners don’t realize:
Organic mulch is like building a soil savings account.
Every season you mulch, you’re not just covering dirt—you’re feeding the micro-life below. Worms, fungi, good bacteria—they all thrive under mulch. Over time, your soil becomes richer, more alive, and more productive. That’s what we want for resilient gardens, especially in an urban environment like Vancouver.
Come See Us—We’ll Match You with the Right Mulch!
At DH Garden Centre, we’ve got a wide range of organic mulching options, and more importantly—we’ll help you pick the one that works best for your garden goals.
Whether you’re growing herbs on a sunny balcony or prepping a full veggie garden in your backyard, mulch is the quiet hero that’ll save you time, water, and stress.
Have questions? Come visit us at 3742 West 10th Avenue, or shoot us a message on Instagram @dh.garden.centre.
Let’s make your garden not just grow—but thrive 🌿
See you in the garden,
Darrell Smith
Owner, DH Garden Centre & DH Landscape Solution
