Mulch, Mulch, Mulch

[Backyard Buddies]

Since we didn't have an official mulch thread, I thought I'd start one.

What do you use to mulch around your yard/gardens? Any tips/questions/challenges/mistakes you want to share would also be great.

 

[simple life]

I have always used the wood mulch, nugget type that you can get bagged at the garden center or delivered by the truckload from a sand and gravel company.
This year I am using less of it in certain beds because I did the close plantings and they finally grew closer together and prevented some of the weeds I usually get.
I side dress with compost and now since this weekend, used coffee grounds.
The coffee grounds sure do make the soil look nice and dark. I hate the way the wood mulch fades after a short time and then I hate the look of it. Its good to keep the moisture in but it loses it looks fast.

 

[Nubsmum]

Since I started composting I have been pestering the local starbucks(easy as there is one on every corner) for coffee grounds. I have just started using it as mulch so I will have to wait and see how it goes.

:coolsun

I can usually get about 2 or 3 gallons of the grounds at a time so If I go several times a week it does not take long. It makes nice "brown" compost for my bin as well. Now all I need are some nice wormies for my bin. I have not ordered any as yet.

 

[simple life]

Do use the coffee grounds on everything or just certain vegetables, perenials etc?

 

[smom1976]

I too want to know more about the coffee grounds

 

[Mossy Rock]

Mostly wood shavings, chicken droppings and sand. I will occasionally buy compost.

 

[Nubsmum]

I just started using the coffee grounds on the veggies so I will have to see. I have not used them on my flowers but I don't have many of those as my time is taken up mostly by the veggies. They do contribute nitrogen and can help keep the moisture in the soil by putting them on top. I suppose at least a 1/2 inch of grounds to keep in water.

I started getting the grounds for my compost to balance out the kitchen garbage. I am still attracting way too many fruit flies but the grounds help with the compost. I figured since they are free and right by my work, why not? I would not go far out of my way since gas is so high but like I said before, starbucks is on every corner. Or if you have one of those little coffee huts by where you are, you could talk them into saving grounds for you as long as you were faithful in picking them up. They usually don't like to have that stuff sitting around for long and then they pitch it in the garbage. What a waste.

 

[smom1976]

Nitrogen..

That would be good to put on my corn and tomatoes

what other plants would like nitrogen..

 

[bunch-a-chickens]

chicken poo. lots of lime stone under our yard so the more nitrogen the better

 

[aquarose]

My favorite mulch is shredded oak leaves, because it is good and that's what I have a lot of. I use it fresh or decayed. I have also used cocoa hulls=good, garden smells like chocolate, but it washes/floats away real bad in the rain. Black dyed recycled wood=day after I put this down I found out that it is really bad to use, with possible pressure treated wood and other bad things inside. Hay or straw=too many problems with the seeds sprouting and turning into a major weed problem. Pine bark nuggets=I found it too chunky and it didn't decompose. Newspaper=doesn't look very nice, blows around in the wind. Compost=best, just I usually don't have enough to mulch everything. Whole oak leaves=I got lazy last fall and didn't rake one flower bed. Stuff came up no problem and I just left them down. They take a long time to break down I think. They weren't very thick, otherwise they would have matted down and been inpenetrable.