What kind of mulch do you suggest?

 
i was wondering what kind of mulch people here use. i am considerin

putting coloured cedar bark (black) on the areas of our flowerbeds tha
i redid. i have never added mulch to the beds before. i have surfed th
net and googled and a lot of places say that some cedar and pine mulch
can affect your flowering shrubs, some of the flowers, as well as takin
nitrogen out of the soil.
if anyone can help me on this i would greatly appreciate any input.
thanks everyone for taking the time to answer.    cyaaa, sockiescat

--
sockiescat

 

I drive about 3 miles to a county trash transfer station. They have 1
huge pile of mulch and depending in what area of the pile I dig, it's
different colors and textures. A hundred feed away is an equally huge
compost pile, and again, depending on where I get it, it can be fine
or course, but always great. The cost of either by the bag or by the
truck load - 0 nada nothing zip
Maybe you trash service has something similar, then all you do is add
fertilizer as needed.

Tom J

 sockiescat wrote:

I use the leaves from my ash, oak, zelkova, and liquidambar trees.  It
takes only a thin layer to keep the soil cool and moist in the summer
and to retard (but not completely prevent) weeds.  I keep adding to this
each fall.  In areas where the wind sometimes scours away the mulch, I
add small branches that have fallen out of the trees; these help to hold
the leaves in place.

For potted plants in large containers, I use a decorative white rock.

--

David E. Ross
<http://www.rossde.com/>

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sockiescat wrote:


   Mulch will only take out nitrogen if it is not fully composted.  Bark has

   the advantage of looking nicer and breaking down slower.  It can be a
   problem scattering over your beds and lawn, and I don't think it is as
   effective in giving nutrients to the surrounding plants, as say a leaf
mulch.

                       Sherwin D.

 
Which is why we mistakenly nitrolize mulch. Using a mulch over beds as
David has done would not "rob" nitrogen. Some of us use high quality
finished compost at the soil interface and then top with a layer of
1"-3" shredded and  partially composted "mulch"(landscape waste). I
call it the forest floor concept. Kicking up hte biology with some
humates and liquid organics produces a very rich microbially active
soil. The nitrogen fixing is a natural part of this process and
nothing is robbed.




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