I'd avoid the eucalyptus bark because studies indicate that bark exudates from certain species can inhibit the growth of some plants. There is not a whole lot of concrete data, but since you are using this in containers, there is very little room for doubt.

I'd absolutely refuse to use cypress because of where and how it is harvested. But in regards to your concerns, there is absolutely no evidence that cypress is any more 'resistant to bugs and diseases' than any other kind of bark. Mythology perpetuated by marketers.

Pine products don't introduce insects or diseases, so you're pretty safe going with that.

Thanks rhizo!

BTW - a study from a couple of years ago (it was a university study, but I've forgotten the university, now .... Purdue?) looked at the possible allelopathic (growth inhibiting) properties of different types of landscape mulch and determined that cypress mulch was also mildly allelopathic when used in the landscape, which means that its effects would almost certainly be greater if used as a mulch in containers.

Al

Thanks Al. Let me pose my original question another way: What is the BEST mulch to use for container vegetables?

I wish I could answer that. I don't use a mulch for my containerized plantings. If you feel the need, why not go for the ubiquitous pine bark nuggets?

Pine rots and breaks down over a relatively short period of time. Cedar and Cypress are more resistant and last longer.

It gets pretty hot and dry here mid-summer so I use about an inch of mulch, just enough to keep the top of the soil(yes, I said soil...ran out of funds half way through potting up)moist and keep splash-up to a minimum. Otherwise the soil will dry, crack, and pull away from the sides of the pots. I used to use cypress, as it is sold locally, but this year I got a bag of cedar. I haven't seen any ill effects so far, and since it is a little finer in texture, it was easier to use than the big chunks of cypress. Hopefully everything will do ok.

I don't use mulch either. It's a pretty good bet that plantings that need more frequent watering are going to exhibit better vitality than those that are able to go an extended period between waterings. There are two possible reasons for this. 1) The soil is very airy/porous & simply won't hold a lot of water. In this trade you get better aeration/gas exchange in the root zone and the healthier roots that accompany it in return for giving up the convenience of not having to water as often. 2) The planting is mature and that, combined with the weather conditions causes the planting to go through a lot of water. That this type of scenario requires more frequent watering is also a healthier scenario because each time you water copiously, you force the unwanted stagnant gases from the soil (CO2, methane, ....) and 'pull in' a fresh supply of air.

So, as long as you're able and willing to keep up with watering needs w/o using mulch, the odds are your plants will thank you for it. I think that mulch benefits most when you can't keep up with watering needs or when you need it to keep soil from splashing up onto the stems & foliage of certain plants so you keep the risk of soil-borne fungal infections minimal.

Since I'm kind of looking at the issue from a physiologic perspective, I didn't include the fact that it can be a tactic that helps save on household water use or that it might look attractive, but those are considerations as well.

Rob - as noted, the cypress is mildly allelopathic as landscape mulch & very probably to a greater extent when used in a container. Though I haven't read much about it, I personally tend to shy away from strongly odoriferous woods like cedar because the highly scented compounds (cedrol, cedrene, and other sesquiterpenes, tannins) they contain tend toward being allelopathic.

Al

Thanks for all the input. My gut feeling is not to add any sort of mulch. I actually only considered of it because it has been so incredibly hot and humid here for the past few days. I have no problem keeping up with the watering because I have the time but I thought mulch might help keep the soil temp down between waterings. I am worried about getting my plants through the Florida summer since I am pretty new to this. Would artificial mulch be a good alternative to consider? I have seen it at the big box. I think it is some kind of recycled rubber. Thoughts?

Ahhh - good point. I completely forgot about it helping to keep the soil temp down. Actually, Dori's suggestion to use larger pine bark nuggets is a very good one.

As I think about the cooling effect of mulching though, I'm wondering just how effective it would be. You get greater evaporative cooling effect w/o the mulch, a good portion of which will be negated by adding mulch. So is a reduction in heat gain from the shading effect of more benefit than the cooling effect of evaporation? I bet probably a little. Sounds like a good experiment for someone. ;o)

Al

My container peppers are in a pretty fast draining mix. When the extreme heat set in I was getting wilting nearly everyday unless I watered everyday. I went ahead and applied a light colored mulch, Coastal Bermuda hay, an inch deep and gave them the Epsom salt treatment (once) to ensure they were able to take up moisture and nutrients.

They are much happier now. I now water them every other or third day, with very little wilting in between. I do have one control plant without the mulch. It still requires watering everyday or the wilt will quickly remind me.

To clarify, my peppers are in pots, not "containers".

Also, the heat hit here 3 weeks ago, and they're holding up great with the addition of the mulch. I've also moved some of the peppers to the sunshaded plot where they are also excelling, some even setting new fruits.

>>>To clarify, my peppers are in pots, not "containers". Err, um, huh? Pots = containers ;-)

As opposed to Earthtainers or Earthboxes, thus the quotes. Gimme a break, supper was ready and I was in a rush. :)