Redditors confirmed a trick of the trade for ways to make yards look pristine without putting in the work. One homeowner took to the r/AusRenovation subreddit to ask if there was too much mulch in their yard.
"Is this too much mulch? … The vendor put down fresh mulch before they listed the house which made the garden look really nice but my instinct tells me that this is too much," wrote the OP from Australia. They asked if it was a safety risk by blocking the house's ventilation.
The OP's question was met with advice from the community who believed this was a ploy to sell homes without proper consideration for safety measures.
"This type of dressing with excess mulch is one of those 'easy tips for selling,'" commented one user.
Mulch is indeed a great option for natural gardens as it can suffocate weeds while also serving the ecosystem, sheltering critters and conserving groundwater. Nevertheless, too much mulch — particularly when it's used to distract from overarching yard issues — could lead to a problem. In this case, the OP found that the mulch pressing up against gas utilities could be a safety risk.
"Clear it away from the aircon and gas heater," wrote a helpful commenter who had previous experience of a vendor's over-mulching. "Nothing should be blocking the airflow around either. You also don't want combustibles or wet things up against either. Mulch is all three."
One user added that the mulch used is "untreated timber mulch, which is unable to break down." They said, "All of these artificially coloured mulches are made from recycled pallets and timber fences, and the chemically treated pine doesn't decompose."
Benefits of nonbiodegradable mulch include weed suppression, water conservation, and low-maintenance gardening that natural gardens uplift. However, it does not improve soil fertility, meaning it does not add nutrients to the soil nor improve its structure, which typical biodegradable mulch does.
Redditors in the subreddit once again saved the day for this OP, as they advised them to mind the safety hazard and promote a healthier garden.
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Mowing the lawn 🏡 As one Redditor put it frankly: "Whenever you see a house that has had an ignored garden for years suddenly get the mulch treatment, you know it's going up for sale."
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