Offering mulch delivery and other bulk goods to the North Shore and greater Boston area for over 30 years, Northeast Nursery’s premium blend of bulk products will help transform your yard to a vibrant and colorful oasis. 

With blends like our aged dark mulch, pine/spruce mix, premium red mix, red hemlock bark mulch or even our playground/safety mulch, we pride ourselves on having the right fit for your project.

Homeowners looking to spruce up their yard with a touch of color, while helping protect valuable trees and plantings from moisture evaporation during those hot summer months will love our selection of high quality mulches. 

Spreading mulch around new plantings and old garden beds has numerous benefits.  When spreading around trees, in flower beds or in the garden, mulch insulates the ground and helps prevent water evaporation, thus reducing water usage requirements by 25-50%. Mulch also helps prevent soil compaction, erosion, and weed growth.

Usage

It’s common practice for homeowners to add mulch at a depth above grade level (see below), yet without a defined edge, it then easily spills over and can be a hazard for foot traffic and lawn mowers.

Alternatively, a more effective approach is to cut the soil level in mulch beds approximately 3 inches deep, so that when spread, the mulch is level with the surrounding ground.  A note of warning, you’ll want to make sure the area drains of water relatively well so you don’t drown sensitive plants.

A third option, is to taper or “round down” the soil level on the edge of the garden bed. This actually allows you to have the nice look of a raised bed but without the effort of building one.

What plants Can be mulched around?

Great around trees, shrubs, perennials and even some small fruit trees, wood and bark chip mulch creates a terrific environment for earthworms (which are terrific for soil ) and soil microorganisms.

It is important to keep in mind that while mulch placed superficially around a garden bed is beneficial, if mixed into the soil can promote nitrogen deficiency due to a carbon/nitrogen imbalance. This creates problems when growing from seedlings or seeds. It is not advisable to use mulch in vegetable or annual flowerbeds due to this fact.

Tips for Mulching around Trees

If you’ve ever seen mulch mounded in a volcano-like fashion around a freshly planted tree, you may be wondering “what’s going on here?”. You aren’t alone.

It’s imperative when applying mulch around trees to take care not to cover the base of the trunk or it’s root flare. When overdone, mulch can actually trap moisture around the tree and lead to root rot and force a secondary pair of roots to grow near the surface.

These weaker secondary roots will likely be fried by the sun, frozen by the frost or can even strangle the tree. Not good.

What’s the right method?

Mulch your trees starting several inches away from the trunk, going out to the drip line or beyond (as far as an 8-foot diameter). The below video shows some professionals “saving” a tree by removing some of the previously laid mulch which is now suffocating and even limiting the growth of it.

Whether you are thinking about mulching around your home this year for aesthetic reasons or simply to improve tree and plant health in your yard, keep in mind a few of these important tips and you’ll be off to a great start this summer.

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Mulch and all other bulk products can be picked up or delivered. The minimum amount we sell is one cubic yard. A cubic yard covers 100 square feet at a 2-3" depth. To determine your square footage measure your length x width. 

Delivery charge is determined by your city/town. See delivery rates here.

If you are interested in ordering mulch, please call us at 978-535-6551.

Weight of Mulch & Bulk Good Products

Weight may vary depending on moisture content in the bulk materials. Below are some approximate weights:

Product      Weight in Lbs/Cubic Yard

A yard is 27 cubic feet 

A pick up Truck with a 8' bed can hold approximately 64 cubic feet or 2.37 cubic yards level.

A pick up Truck with a 6' bed can hold approximately 48 cubic feet or 1.77 cubic yards level.