What is the best type of garden mulch to use if you will mix it into the soil at the end of the season?

Answer 1

Compost or composted steer manure (the smell goes away in a couple of days, really).

Don't use anything from an evergreen tree, unless you only want to grow plants that thrive in acidic soil.

Answer 2

For years, we've used coco-mulch.... that's what's left from the making of chocolate.. from the cocoa bean.
In the spring, we spread it 1/2" to 1" thick on the garden, around the plants. It keeps about 85%-95% of the weeds out all summer. It also helps to keep the soil moist and helps to prevent drought from setting in during hot, summer days which is great if you have to go away and don't have anybody to water your garden.
Finally, you have the choice of leaving it on top of the garden, as is, all winter and then in the following spring, just laying a new batch of mulch on top or, working it into the soil in fall or spring.
Added bonus is this stuff looks really nice in a garden and, for several weeks, your garden will have a really nice, sweet chocolately smell!
Coco-mulch is available at most garden centres.
Good luck!

Answer 3

Black gold is a fantastic finely shredded wood mulch. I plan on using shredded leaves this summer for my garden...saved them from last year and they are partially composted. Compost! Another great mulch to use that can be turned into the soil when the season is over.

Answer 4

Stay away from cedar or cypress mulch as they are very slow to break down.

I have always liked to use cocoa bean hull mulch - it breaks down well when you till it under, and it smells great too.

You can also use grass clippings as long as you don't use weed n' feed or even better save your fall leaves and use them.

Answer 5

Wheat or oat straw, holds moisture in and weeds down

Answer 6

Shreaded cedar.

Answer 7

Well, I suppose leaves or pine needles would work. I always use cedar or cypress mulch, but they don't decompose very much. Cypress mulch is generally finer than cedar, by the way. I copied this from snopes regarding cocoa bean mulch:
Claim: Theobromine, a chemical found in cocoa mulch, can be harmful to pets.

Status: True.

Example: [Collected via e-mail, 2003]

Cocoa Mulch, which is sold by Home Depot, Foreman's Garden Supply and other Garden supply stores, contains a lethal ingredient called "Theobromine".

It is lethal to dogs and cats. It smells like chocolate and it really attracts dogs. They will ingest this stuff and die. Several deaths already occurred in the last 2-3 weeks. Just a word of caution — check what you are using in your gardens and be aware of what your gardeners are using in your gardens.

Theobromine is the ingredient that is used to make all chocolate — especially dark or baker's chocolate — which is toxic to dogs.

Cocoa bean shells contain potentially toxic quantities of theobromine, a xanthine compound similar in effects to caffeine and theophylline. A dog that ingested a lethal quantity of garden mulch made from cacao bean shells developed severe convulsions and died 17 hours later. Analysis of the stomach contents and the ingested cacao bean shells revealed the presence of lethal amounts of theobromine.

Origins: This warning about the potential danger to pets posed by cocoa mulch began appearing in our inbox in May 2003. Unlike the majority of scary alerts spread through the Internet, there is a good deal of truth to this one, although we haven't encountered any substantiated cases of pet deaths caused by ingestion of cocoa mulch.

Veterinarians have noted that cocoa mulch contains ingredients that could pose a health risk to dogs (and other pets that might be tempted to ingest it):
"Cocoa mulch is a risk, especially to dogs," said Dr. Larry Family of Aqueduct Animal Hospital.

Found in most home garden centers, cocoa mulch is known for its fine texture and the sweet smell the fresh mulch gives off.

But getting past the scent, Family says cocoa mulch can be dangerous if a dog starts eating it. It contains two key ingredients found in chocolate: theobromine and caffeine. Similar to eating chocolate, he says a dog that eats just a few ounces of cocoa mulch could starting having stomach problems and it could get worse if it eats more.

"As time goes on they might act restless, excited, it can produce tremors and seriously seizures," Family explained.

"Puppies are very curious animals. So they're going to be attracted to various things around the yard and [the effect of eating cocoa mulch] seems to be more severe in the small breeds, and it depends on the amount they actually ingest," Family said.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) confirms the potential effects of theobromine and caffeine on dogs:
Cocoa beans contain the stimulants caffeine and theobromine. Dogs are highly sensitive to these chemicals, called methylxanthines. In dogs, low doses of methylxanthine can cause mild gastrointestinal upset (vomiting, diarrhea, and/or abdominal pain); higher doses can cause rapid heart rate, muscle tremors, seizures, and death.

Eaten by a 50-pound dog, about 2 ounces of cocoa bean mulch may cause gastrointestinal upset; about 4.5 ounces, increased heart rate; about 5.3 ounces, seizures; and over 9 ounces, death. (In contrast, a 50-pound dog can eat up to about 7.5 ounces of milk chocolate without gastrointestinal upset and up to about a pound of milk chocolate without increased heart rate.)
According to tables we've examined, cocoa mulch contains 300-1200 mg. of theobromine per ounce, making cocoa mulch one of the strongest concentrations of theobromine your pet will encounter in any chocolate product.

Yet the question of the gravity of the risk presented by this type of gardening mulch remains a matter of debate. According to Hershey's:
It is true that studies have shown that 50% of the dogs that eat Cocoa Mulch can suffer physical harm to a variety of degrees (depending on each individual dog). However, 98% of all dogs won't eat it.
And some of those who vend cocoa mulch note that although they're aware of the pet warnings, they've never encountered a case of a dog's being sickened by the product:
"The weird thing is, it smells like a chocolate Pop Tart. That's the best way I can describe it. It really does have a chocolate scent to it," explained Shane Compton of Hewitt's Garden Center.

Compton says cocoa mulch is not that popular at his store, but says it has its regular customers who every now and then wonder about the rumors they hear and the effect it has on man's best friend.

"There's always stories on the Internet, but in the 30 years we've been here we've actually never heard of any body's dog getting sick," Compton said.
Some manufacturers of cocoa mulch (such as the Cocoa Mulch brand) now proclaim that their products are theobromine-free and pet safe. Responsible pet owners should take care in their selection of cocoa mulch brands; some might prefer to choose another form of soil enhancement for their gardens, such as cedar-based products, rather than gamble their dogs won't be attracted or harmed by cocoa mulch.

(Although Home Depot is named as a vendor of cocoa mulch in the example cited at the head of this page, the company told us in May 2006 that: "The Home Depot does not and will not sell mulch harmful to pets. The mulch sold by The Home Depot containing cocoa shells goes through several cleaning processes, including a high heat system in order to strip the cocoa fat from the shells without the use of any chemicals.")