How to store your mulch after delivery
Mulch is an ideal method of suppressing weeds and keeping the soil healthy. It is easily available from garden suppliers and will arrive in good condition. If you do not need all of it immediately, however, you will need to store the remaining mulch properly to keep it healthy.
Keep it covered
It is very important to keep excess moisture out of your mulch. Too much water will cause it to rot and will attract fungus and pests. It will also cause the valuable nutrients in your mulch to leak out, lowering the quality of the product. If you are only storing it for a week or two, this won't be a problem, unless you are expecting heavy rains or storms. Otherwise, the best way to keep the mulch is to pour it out over a tarp (to keep the ground moisture from rising up and entering it) and then to cover it with another tarp. This should keep it dry enough that it will stay in good condition.
Keep it aired
A second problem that can happen to stored mulch is souring. This happens when there is not enough oxygen in the mulch, which causes it to ferment and acidify. It can then be harmful to your plants. This is easily avoided by keeping the mulch aired. If you are only keeping the mulch for a few weeks, you can keep it in its sacks, but make some holes in them to allow it to breathe. Otherwise, you should pour it out as described above, but use some stakes around the outside to keep the edges of the upper tarp raised above the lower one. As long as there is ventilation and room for the air to get to the mulch, you should not have a problem with souring.
Keep it cool
A final problem that is not often considered is that some mulches are easily combustible, and if you allow them to get too dry and too hot, they can easily catch fire, especially if an ember from a wildfire lands on them. You should keep the mulch out of the sun to avoid the heat building up, and keep it away from your home. Turning the mulch regularly will help to dissipate the heat, as well as help to prevent it from souring.
For more information about mulch and mulch delivery, contact a local gardening and landscape supplier.