I'd most certainly agree to stay away from the peat since if used as mulch it repels water. Hard to beat straw or hay IMO. Used it for more years than I care to admit and wouldn't trade it for anything else.

You'll find several excellent discussions about using peat and its problems over on the Soil & Mulch forum here. I linked a few of the best ones below.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Peat moss problems discussions

I use Coastal Bermuda hay, it breaks down quicker and does not sprout seeds like straw sometime does.

g'day glover,

yes that is straw takes for ages to beak down and doesn't realy deliver that much in nutrients, for us we want the nutrients so we never need to fertilise so we use hay type mulches and plenty of them ie.,. spoilt luceren or pasture grass hay's as well as for the main sugar cane mulch because it is cheapest and easiest to get.

len

Here is a link that might be useful: lens garden page

+1 on the Coastal Bermuda hay for the same reasons. Plus it's a finer hay to start with so does a better job as a mulch, imo. Ask around, it doesn't have to be grown near a coast.

peat no good. I like to mulch with wood chips whenever possible, precisely for the opposite reason: they do not break down very fast, so next year I don't have to mulch.

But if you want a mulch that breaks down within the year, dead leaves and kitchen scraps in any combination will break within the year, and are seed-free. I never liked straw, which costs money, has seeds and does not really smother weeds.

I've been using grass clippings. It adds some N to the soil and keeps those little feet warm when it's still cool outside. It breaks down easily. Just don't let it come in contact with the stems of the plants. It will burn them.

I love straw and then hay as a second option That is so cool that you get it devilered to your garden it does take a long time to break down thats great I find myself using it for two years or composting it after use

No - don't use peat moss. That is to mix into soil to condition it or to provide the environment that certain plants' roots love. For mulch I love shredded dry straw, but have been using grass clippings extensively this season to see if I can get away from buying the straw as it is expensive. Straw is a nice dry mulch, though, and it does break down readily if you shred it into small bits (buy it pre-shredded in a compressed cube or send it through a leaf-shredder yourself). It does not add a lot of nutrients but it does attract worms like crasy, and they add the nutrients when they digest the straw, so that is what you need to remember. The grass clippings are free, though, and they break down rapidly.

Everyone was so eager to condemn peat moss and recommend their favorite mulch that they forgot it's main redeeming feature. It's perhaps the best thing you can mix into your clay soil to decrease it's alkalinity and break down the hard clumps.

I agree with tedposey....BUT, as a MULCH, it almost repels water. It's like laying a sheet of plastic over the top. Mixed in, peat is great for clay, but just layed on top, bad stuff.

Peat will raise the acidity of your soil. We used it when planting blueberries, which like an acidic environment.

Grass clippings are the way to go IMO. I have tried straw in the past and it doesn't break down fast enough for me - (it looks the same the following year), plus it often has seeds in it and its also not dense enough to provide enough benefit for the effort...There are reasons straw is used with growing grass seed... Grass clippings, however, do everything a mulch is supposed to do(including look good) plus its free. It does require some work though... We have a 5 acre yard so we have some grass...When cutting the yard(and needing "mulch") we try to gather/direct about 6 riding mower widths of clippings at a time and let that dry in the sun for a day or two, before we rake it and move to the garden. With a push mower, you could dump & spread your bagged grass onto a tarp to dry - we have done this in our barn if rain is expected. When the clippings are dry to the touch and starting to brown, then its ready to use by plants and greener clippings can be used to "fill in" other areas. I have used it for the last ten years. I have never had any burning problems and it breaks down for tilling by next spring. Incedently, the clipppings will not "introduce" new weeds or new grass problems in your garden...We have clippings under almost everything in the garden from tomatoes and peppers to corn. I also have it under young trees in the yard. Just like the old lady in the Frank's Red Hot Sauce commercial says: "We use that s#!t on everything...". Theres only so much grass I can put in my compost pile so I have found other uses. I also have a pine cone trail...on the same note. I do buy the "real" mulch though for use around the house though lol. Grass clippings and hostas doesn't quite work for me.

I use straw but would like to use grass but don't because of fert and weed killer. Is there a time after application of those things were the clippings are safe in the garden?

I've mulched with straw, hay, and shredded tree trimmings and I like the tree trimmings best of all. It takes a thick layer of straw or hay to do a good job of weed supression and moisture retention, but a much lighter layer of the trimmings does an excellent job. If they are "double or triple shredded" they break down over a year and can be tilled in or planted through the next year. Plus, they look nicer in my beds which are close to my house. But mulch with whatever you have that won't cause more problems than it solves. Peat is not for mulching but everything else that's been mentioned is better than no mulch at all.

Sandy

We have used tree trimmings on trails and around trees in the past. I don't think I have ever seen double or triple shredded for free though. If I only had a small garden, buying a dozen bags would do the trick & fit the budget...Around here, the power companies/tree trimmers give away their chips/chunks, but I think they are too big to use in a garden. I had a tree guy at my house a couple years ago doing some work and he said the wood chips (I guess just "single" shredded) should sit/age for at least 6 months before using, except for trail use. Its been a while, but I beleive he was referring to tanic acid needing to seep out or something like that...

I think everyone has great suggestions! I was just wondering what you want from a mulch, since different ones provide different things. Do you want it to provide nutrients to the soil? Organic matter to the soil? Or do you want one that provides insulation from the heat and aids water retention? I mean, all mulches do those things to various extents, but some that are really good for insulation and water retention don't break down fast or provide much nutrient to the soil (and vice versa)... Of course, you could always hedge your bets and use a combo of mulches! Cheers!

Sunni