in the past when I got the cypress mulch it was straw like, the other types are like bark chips and this time I got the cypress mulch and it spread out like dirt, kindof powdery. Is that how it should be?
2007-03-08 03:41:54 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Home & Garden ➔ Garden & Landscape
Hey, MikeM! That's BS! There is a USDA quarantine on all cellulose fiber from Louisiana. That's wood, paper, bark and mulch. It can't leave the state and MUST be buried. I know you're trying to be helpful, but have your facts straight when you advise others!
Mulch can be anywhere from fine (like potting soil) to coarse bark chips. Bark mulches tend to be best because they are the protective layer of a tree and don't tend to provide food for insects (like termites).
The purpose of mulch is to help regulate soil moisture, inhibit weed growth, and provide a finished look. Secondarily, mulch can add organic value to soil as it decomposes. The finer the mulch, the faster it will decompose.
Buy the mulch that you like the look of best. The look of the garden is what you are after.
Better to have mulch than to have never mulched at all.
2007-03-08 06:09:48 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mulch can look like anything as most things can be made into mulch as opposed to compost. I make mulch by raking all my oakleaves and pine needles up and putting through a shredder. The mulch looks great, it is free, and balances the pH of the soil. Bagged and store bought mulch may not be healthy for your yard. Some mulches are not condusive to the soil you have. Store bought can also have heavy pesticides in the material being sold. In addition, the shredded oak leaves look great and are atrractive. Lots nicer looking than cypress straw. You can get a shreddr for about $30 at Home Depot. It is a leaf blower with a shredder attachment. Dont need the fancy, 100to 400 models.
2007-03-08 11:56:29 · answer #2 · answered by juncogirl3 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on what you are using it for. Mulch is simply to keep the ground temperate and most mulch has no nutrients like rubber & rock (which are a mulch for a different use).
Organic mulch (decay) is best for putting around flower beds, bushes, trees as it breaks down into the soil and the nutrients can be absorbed and it also feeds the good organisims.
2007-03-08 11:51:15 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
theres a lot of different kinds.. some have larger chips and in some the mulch is ground up into pretty small pieces.. sounds like that is what you got this time
id recommend buying it from the same place each time, and i would also recommend getting the finer mulch, like the kind you just bought.. it seems to do a better job with stopping weeds, but it does decompose faster so you will have to buy it more often
2007-03-08 11:47:51 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Be careful with mulch today. Apparently, a lot of the termite-infested homes in New Orleans have been turned into mulch and traveling termite colonies.
2007-03-08 11:44:31 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
i use mother earth for any questions about mulch or compost --- ill post the link below
2007-03-12 00:15:09 · answer #6 · answered by Ted S 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no get hardwood shredded mulch it lasts the longest
2007-03-08 11:45:35 · answer #7 · answered by aussie 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It looks and feels like chunks of wood like in a play ground.
2007-03-08 11:44:41 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋