Mulching & weed control in Pakenham.

A Pakenham summer swings between hot, dry northerly weeks and the odd heavy downpour, and the clay-based soil under most estate gardens bakes hard and sheds water when it is bare. A 50 to 75mm layer of mulch is the single best thing you can do for a garden bed here: it holds soil moisture so you water less, keeps the roots cool through a 38-degree day, stops the surface crusting, and smothers the weeds before they get going. Through autumn it slowly breaks down and feeds the soil. Refreshing the mulch once a year, usually in spring before the heat, keeps the whole garden lower-maintenance and healthier.

Mulch types we lay around Pakenham.

• Hardwood chip: Coarse, long-lasting, stays put in wind and rain. The best all-rounder for Pakenham beds.
• Pine bark: Tidy dark finish, slow to break down, great for the front beds and a clean estate look.
• Sugar cane / pea straw: Cheap, feeds the soil fast, ideal for veggie patches, but breaks down in a season and can blow.
• Native leaf-and-bark blend: For native and indigenous beds, mimics the natural leaf litter these plants evolved with.

Weed control, in beds and on hard surfaces.

We handle weeds two ways. In garden beds and around edibles we hand-weed and hoe so there is no chemical near plants you eat, then mulch to keep them from coming back. On large driveways, gravel, paving joints and path edges we can apply a registered knockdown herbicide carefully, on a still day, following the label and Victorian guidelines, to deal with the bindii, clover, oxalis and onion grass that plague Cardinia gardens. If you want a fully chemical-free job, say so and we keep it all hand-weeding and steam.