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A mulched island bed with boulders and shrubs beside a paver patio and dining set

Mulching in St. Clair Shores, MI and across Metro Detroit: Fresh mulch. No volcanoes.

Mulch belongs two to three inches deep and off the trunk. HD Landscape spreads it clean, and mulch spreading is the job our Google reviews bring up most.

  • Two to three inches
  • Kept off trunks and stems
  • Spread clean
Get a free estimateCall (586) 718-8762
5.0 from 171 Google reviews

What it does

Most mulch problems are too much mulch.

HD Landscape spreads fresh mulch in St. Clair Shores and across Metro Detroit, at the two to three inches Michigan State University Extension recommends. At that depth mulch holds moisture in the ground and slows weeds. In one MSU trial, properly mulched plots outgrew plots with no mulch, even when the bare plots were kept weed free.

The usual mistake is adding a full layer every spring. MSU Extension is plain about it: two to three inches is adequate, and more is not better. Heaped on year after year, mulch can smother perennials and cake into a layer that sheds rain. The other classic is the mulch volcano, mounded up against a tree trunk, where the dark, damp bark invites rot and insects. So look at what is already in a bed before anything new goes on it.

  • Two to three inches where a bed needs it
  • About an inch to freshen a bed that already has depth
  • Tapered down and never mounded against a trunk
  • Weeds pulled and the bed line cut before any mulch goes down
Hostas and a small Japanese maple in a mulched bed with a curved paver border
Hostas in a curved paver border

The right amount

Thin, right or piled high.

Depth decides most of what mulch does for a bed. These are the three versions you see around town, and what each one does over a season.

  • Too thin

    Depth
    Bare soil still shows
    Weeds
    Seeds still reach the light
    Water
    Soil dries out sooner
    Roots
    Less protected from heat and cold
    Trunks
    No harm, but little benefit

  • What we do

    Two to three inches

    Depth
    Two to three inches, spread even
    Weeds
    Annual and some perennial weeds smothered
    Water
    Moisture stays in the ground
    Roots
    Stay down in the soil
    Trunks
    Kept back from the bark

  • Piled high

    Depth
    Layer on layer, year after year
    Weeds
    Your perennials can get smothered too
    Water
    Dries to a crust that can shed rain
    Roots
    Grow up into the mulch
    Trunks
    Buried, inviting rot and insects

Try it

Mulch or stone: see it on a real bed.

Tap through the finishes on one of our real beds and see what suits your home.

A curved raised bed in front of a brick ranch, with the ground cover changing as you pick each option
Choose a ground cover
One of our real beds, finished in black mulch. The other four are digital previews, so treat the colors as a guide.

On the job

Four steps. The mulch is third.

  1. Check

    How much mulch is already there decides the job. A bed with good depth needs only a light top up. One that is deep or crusted should be broken up and pulled back first, so water can reach the soil again.

  2. Pull and edge

    Weeds come out by hand, roots included, because established weeds push through fresh mulch. Then the bed line gets cut clean. If you want a permanent line, ask about steel edging.

  3. Spread

    Mulch goes down even, two to three inches in the open bed. Near a tree it tapers down and stays off the bark. MSU Extension's number is a six inch mulch free ring around the trunk. Shrubs and perennials get room at the stems too.

  4. Clean up

    Walks, drives and lawn get cleaned off before the crew leaves. One customer's review put it simply: "how clean they left the job."

Depth and trunk spacing come from Michigan State University Extension guidance. If a tree in your yard already has mulch piled against it, ask and we will pull it back.

Real jobs

Done right, you notice the plants first.

Black on some homes, brown on others. Either one makes green plants and a clean edge stand out.

  • A long mulched bed with boulders and small plants along a drive with the lake behind it
    Boulders and low planting near the lake
  • A large brick home with arched windows, a Japanese maple and curved clipped beds
    Curved beds on a large brick home
  • A brick patio with a black urn of red flowers, clipped shrubs and a sweeping bed in front of a sage sided home
    Sweeping beds around a brick patio
  • Upright evergreens and white hydrangeas in a round mulched bed in a lawn
    Evergreens and hydrangeas in a round bed
  • Fresh planting along the front of a stone and brick tudor
    New planting along a tudor front
  • A mulched island bed with shaped trees and shrubs in a wide green lawn
    An island bed in a wide lawn

Good to know

Not every bed gets the same mulch job.

  • Fabric

    Landscape fabric under mulch

    It is not the fix it looks like. Penn State Extension says woven fabric keeps water, worms and soil microbes from moving freely through the soil. Over time roots knit into it from above and below, and it gets very hard to remove. Ask Jake before you buy a roll.

  • Stone

    Mulch or stone

    Mulch breaks down and feeds the soil, so it needs freshening. Stone does not break down, but it adds nothing to the soil either. Planted beds usually do better in mulch. For a low care strip along a walk or a drive, look at rock and stone.

  • Wet beds

    Beds that stay wet

    Clay is common around here, and it drains slowly. Penn State Extension says to use less mulch on poorly drained soil, so a soggy bed gets a lighter layer. If water sits there, grading may be the real fix.

  • Bees

    Ground nesting bees

    MSU Extension suggests watching your beds on warm, sunny spring days before you mulch. Where bees are nesting, a thinner layer of one to two inches is better. Tell us where they are and we will go light.

Close to home

In St. Clair Shores, check the depth first.

HD Landscape is based in St. Clair Shores, and it is one of the towns we work in most. The city grew quickly from a resort community after World War II, so a lot of homes here have beds that have been around for decades. A bed topped off every spring for that long can build up well past the point of helping, which is why depth is the first thing to look at.

The ground here points the same way. USDA soil data shows heavy, poorly drained ground across most of the city, on very little slope, so a bed that stays wet should get less mulch, not more. If your yard runs down to the lake or a canal, keep mulch away from the water, which is the advice in the waterfront guide the city posts.

Inland lots can run as small as 6,000 square feet, so beds sit close to walks, drives and the neighbors, and the mulch has to stay in the bed. We also mulch beds in Grosse Pointe, Birmingham and towns across Macomb and Oakland counties.

More on St. Clair Shores

A brick home with a white pergola and deck above a clean bed line and green lawn
Clean bed lines below a deck and pergola

In their own words

On time, with good advice first.

  • HD Landscape did an outstanding job. They trimmed bushes, planted new shrubs, put down mulch, cut down a tree, grinded down the tree stump and had a company repair fence for me. They were so nice and did everything I asked. They showed up on time and gave me itemized costs beforehand.

    Anne J.Trim, plant, mulch, tree and stump

  • This young man and his crew were nothing less than amazing. They just completed a big project for us.... his team of young men were so polite, professional, easy to get along with... They did a great job on our yard and flower beds. The owner gave us some great advice before they started, and we listened to him.. and we are so glad we did. …

    Stephen D.Yard and flower beds

Read every review on Google

A paver patio, urn of red flowers and sweeping beds at dusk beside a sage home with glowing windows
A finished job, relit for evening

Questions

What people ask about mulching.

Plain answers, with the horticulture from Michigan State University Extension and other university programs. If yours is not here, call or text (586) 718-8762.

Do you do mulching in St. Clair Shores?

Yes. HD Landscape is based in St. Clair Shores and spreads mulch for homes here and across the Grosse Pointes, Macomb County and Oakland County. Mulching is one of the jobs our customers mention most.

How deep should mulch be?

Two to three inches in most beds. Michigan State University Extension says that is adequate and that more is not better. If a bed already has mulch in it, about an inch is enough to freshen it without piling up depth.

How far should mulch stay from a tree trunk?

MSU Extension says about six inches: keep a mulch free ring around the trunk and let the layer taper down as it gets close. Its shorthand is a doughnut, not a volcano. Shrub stems need room at the base as well.

What is a mulch volcano, and why is it bad?

A mulch volcano is mulch mounded up against a tree trunk. It keeps the bark dark and damp, which invites rot and insects, and it encourages roots to grow up into the mulch where they do not belong. If you have one, we can pull it back.

Do you remove the old mulch first?

Usually it does not all need to go. Old mulch breaks down into the soil, which is part of why it is good for a bed. If a bed has built up too deep or crusted over, it should be broken up and the extra pulled back before anything new goes on.

When should I mulch in Michigan?

Mid spring is the usual time, once the soil has warmed up, and it pairs well with a spring cleanup. Beds can be freshened in fall too. A layer of mulch also insulates the soil, which helps protect roots from an early freeze.

Does mulch stop weeds?

It helps a lot, within limits. Two to three inches can smother annual weeds and some perennials, and a light top up each year keeps new seeds from sprouting. Established perennial weeds push through, so they have to come out first. That is why a bed should be weeded before it gets mulch.

How much mulch do I need for my beds?

One cubic yard covers about 160 square feet at two inches, or about 108 square feet at three inches. You do not have to work it out, though. The amount goes on your estimate.

What kind of mulch should I use?

MSU Extension says the type of organic mulch matters less than the fact that plants are mulched. Color is mostly taste, and Jake can help you pick what suits the house. The one thing to watch is quality, because MSU warns that poor mulch can bring in weeds such as mugwort and Canada thistle.

Will mulch attract termites to my house?

University of Florida guidance says the bigger risk is termites already on your property, more than stragglers in the mulch. It recommends less than two inches of mulch within a foot of the foundation and at least six inches of clear space below the siding, so any activity can be seen. Ask and we will keep the layer light along the house.

How long does a mulch job take?

A normal set of beds can often be done in a day. A big property, or beds that need heavy weeding first, can take longer, which is one more reason Jake walks the beds before he writes anything down.

How much does mulching cost?

Three things set the price: how much bed there is, how much mulch is already down and how much weeding comes first. Jake looks at all three in person, and his free estimate is itemized so you can go through it line by line.

Where we do this

Yard notes

Background: a finished job, relit for evening

Free estimate

Tell us about the beds.

How many beds, and how long since they were mulched? Text a photo if that is easier. Jake will come see them and write up a free, itemized estimate.

Step 1 of 2 What do you need?
Step 2 of 2 How do we reach you?

We use this to answer you and nothing else. Prefer to talk? Call or text (586) 718-8762.

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