best type of mulch

[IFallsRon]

I am building the wife a large flower bed. We'd like to use a mulch as a weed block. There's several types of wood chips, bark etc. as well as nut/bean husks and shells. What gives me the best value and coverage?

[echotrail]

I like using the cypress mulch. It does not decay nearly as fast as other wood chip types. You can also get the cypress in dyed colors, keeping them from turning a natural grey as soon. The cocconut husks are to light and seem to get all over the place.

[Powerstroke]

For the most part, the differences in mulches is purely aesthetic. The decay rate is so slow you won't notice during the season.

The big thing is how they weather. Most raw wood chips and pine nuggets will weather and turn grey. Not bad, just natural. If you're looking for a richer color look into shredded mulch. It holds color better even in the natural shades. You can also get different colors to match your garden, any edging stone or the color of your house.

Cedar or cypress mulch is really nice, but is also more expensive. Shredded mulch can be had pretty cheap if you talk to tree companies or wood recyclers who process thier logs.

Personally I don't like the cocoa husks. Those things stink to high heaven when they start to compost. Whew!!!

[Bobby Bass]

I go with the ceder chips stay away from the cocoa husks, smells good when you open the bags but with in a few weeks... Have you considered doing a rock mulch? Have put in a lot of blue stone chip and colored rock ones.

[heavyduty]

A couple things to think about,you only have to put rock down once and it won't break down like mulch but it may sink into the ground,but on the other hand you never want to have to shovel the rock back up if ever want to change the landscape, (trust me I've had to do it twice no fun at all). the idea of mulch is the way to go, First it's much easier to haul and to handle you can load a pickup full and unload with alomost no effort compared to rock. The mulch is great for the plants it helps to keep the soil cool and moist which is good for plant life where rock is creats a oven type condition( ever walk on a rocky beach that is in the full range of the sun? ouch). The wife and I did some land scapeing last year about this time of year about the same time of the year as some friends they used rock we used mulch our plants took off faster and grew better last year and even this year they took off quicker than theirs and look great now. I do like the look of but I will always use mulch for the long term benifits. Like my back.

[The Grebe]

In the past, I used raw wood chips for landscaping projects around the property and aside from turning gray and funky looking, they seemed to attract all kinds of bugs, moreso The older they got!

Sow bugs, centipedes, ants and all the creepy crawlys that prey on them. I believe that some of the mulches have bug deterents in them. The garden spiders around here grew fat on the insects...some of them bad boys were the size of a quarter!

[Powerstroke]

heavyduty makes a good comparison about using rocks compared to mulch.

Personally I just had this discussion with a friend. He removed old rocks, cleaned them (are you kidding me?!) then put them back down in the same spot. His rational was the same, "you only do it once and you're done". He also thinks its easier in the fall to rake out leaves.

Mulch may need to be "topped off" every year, but if you installed 10 yds, you'll only need 2 or so the next year. Mulch breaks down, but its providing nutrients to the soil. It also retains moisture, rocks don't. I've been doing landscapes for many years and I've never had a problem with blowing leaves out of the mulch with a blower. If mulch gets on the lawn it won't wreck my mower blades like a rock might.

I do like the look of some rock, especially the smooth river rock like the stuff you find on the North Shore, but it is wicked expensive. Mulch is easier on the back and on the wallet.

[Steve Foss]

Like Powerstroke, I've landscaped extensively with both rock and wood/bark. I'll take the wood any day, because I like the look tremendously (more natural in a garden setting) and it keeps putting those nutrients back.