With the arrival of spring, Santa Clara is drawing attention to the benefits of mulching.
The campaign, deemed Mulch Madness, is a rebate program to incentivize residents to assist the city in meeting state environmental goals. Mulch is key to water conservation. It improves soil microbiology, benefitting overall soil health, which is key in keeping the city’s water system clean.
“Mulch helps to suppress weeds that pop up following winter rains while insulating soil and conserving moisture to help bolster plants before seasonal heat begins,” Janine De la Vega, the city’s public information officer, wrote in an email.
The city encourages property owners to contact local tree care companies for free delivery of chipped wood. That wood gives the garden a boost and contributes to local sustainability and helps companies mitigate dump fees.
Toward this end, the city offers rebates for mulching. These rebates are available to both commercial and residential properties that have mulch and plants. Commercial properties include industrial and institutional properties and multifamily residential homeowners’ associations.
For the first 1,000 sq. ft. of mulching, residential properties can get $4 per square foot. Beyond that, they get $2 per square foot. Residential properties can get up to $5,000 in rebates for converting lawns to water-wise plants.
Commercial properties can earn up to $110,000 in rebates, with slightly different rates for landscape conversion and large landscape to mulch. The former yields $3 per sq. ft. up to 10,000 sq. ft. and $2 per sq. ft. thereafter. The latter earns commercial property owners $2 per sq. ft. up to 10,000 sq. ft. and $1 per sq. ft. thereafter.
Water reduction also helps the city meet the state’s new residential water reduction goals, which went into effect at the start of the year. In 2024, the city’s gallons-per-capita-day requirement was at 53; that number decreased to 47 this year.
“Reducing outdoor water use conserves water for essentials like cooking, bathing, drinking and similar daily needs,” De la Vega wrote. “Rain or shine, conservation will be key for Santa Clara to meet new state regulations.”
Any property owner with a lawn — even a dead lawn — and an in-ground irrigation system — even a broken system — is eligible for either residential or commercial rebates, depending on their property type.
With the name Mulch Madness, the city is piggybacking on the popularity of the college basketball tournament March Madness. Despite this, the program is not limited to March.
For more information, residents can visit SantaClaraCA.gov/GardenGuide.
Contact David Alexander at d.todd.alexander@gmail.com
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