Very ingenious advertising.

Lloyd

Answer to part one is yes, definitely. This product is very similar to one that is produced locally as a byproduct of our green waste recycling efforts and it's my mulch of choice. I'd even go so far as to increase the claim of needing 50% less fertilizer to as much as 80% less -- with very few exceptions, I've not needed to fertilize at all since I began using this compost.

Answer to part two is also yes - the layering will very likely slow down the decomposition of the compost, letting it last longer (a plus), and it might very well hasten that of the wood mulch. And there is less of a concern about nutrient tie-up if the mulch(s) get accidentally incorporated into the soil. But as there is less direct contact with the soil if you layer the compost on top of the wood mulch, it may also take longer for the nutrients it contains to be released and become effective.

I'd consider it a rather fair trade-off, tho.

Good news...makes the switch a little more simple, its the same price as the shredded mulch to boot.

Few more questions...

1) How long does the compost typically last (lets say after the wood mulch decomposes)?

2) Are there any issues with suppling these nutrients to the mulch beds even though some tree roots will grow beyond the mulch bed? For example will they become so happy they won't want to grow outside the bed.

3) What effect does compost typically have on the soil ph?

4) Does it get "mucky" in the rain? For example can I walk on it when its wet?

5) Do you have to turn this compost (ie does it compress)? In some areas my shredded mulch needs to be turned otherwise it creates this hard barrier that doesn't allow the water to get through.

5) How much (in inches) would you put down to begin with? Figure I have 2" of shredded mulch now. And how much should I end up with in the end after the shredded wood decomposes?

6) Are there any things I should look for once I look at the compost? For example cerain color, certain smell? I assume it will be dark brown, fluffy and smell earthy.

Sorry, more questions than expected!

That ad actually provides very little real information, however, compost can be used as a substitute for chipped wood or shredded leaf mulches. How long the compost would "last" when used in this way depends on how active a Soil Food Web you have, an inch of compost covered with 6 inches of shredded leaves laid on my soil in the fall will be pretty well digested by the following August.
Compost will not significantly affect your soils pH.
There is no good reason to walk on any wet soil that simply helps compact soils. This is one reason why well planned beds that allow you access without walking on the soil in those bed is a much better system then one large garden plot.
Whether you will need to turn (till) this depends on your soil. If it is a good, healthy soil there will be no need but if the soil does not have enough organic matter to support that Soil food Web you may need to do so.
How much to put down depends on how much your soil needs and only soil testing can determine that. What is the humus (residual organic matter) level in your soil? What you want, the humus level, in your soil is around 6 to 8 percent.
Good compost, finished compost, will be a rich chocolate brown color and smell pleasantly, like good, rich earth smells.
Do not worry about asking questions because that is how we have learned all of our lives.

1) IME, my compost lasts about 6 months as a mulch.....it's close to disappearing by that that time. But there is no barrier between it and the soil and I do typically apply it twice a season.

2) no worries here - roots spread as much as they are inclined to. The nutrient delivery is low enough that the mulched areas do not present overly rich soil (not like digging an enriched planting hole).

3) the pH of finished compost should be very close to neutral, depending on ingredients.

4) I agree with kimmsr here - I'd avoid walking on any 'wet' soil, mulched or not. If you need to walk on it, wait until it is moderately dry or provide pavers or some other access through the beds.

5) I've never needed to to turn or disturb my mulch and I can't imagine it would be that radically different from what you will be using. It doesn't form a crust and absorbs water well.

6) I find a mulch in the 2-4 inch thickness is the most efficient at retarding weed development, maintaining soil moisture and providing insulating properties.

7) It is possible you could find non-composted items in the material. Composts made of recycled yard or green waste sometimes receive non-compostable donations (thanks to your neighbors who may not be very diligent in their recycling practices), so bits of plastic, etc. may show up in the mulch. Otherwise, it should be dark, rich looking and with an earthy aroma.

The walking in the mulch beds was more for the dog.

If it rains out and the compost gets sticky or mucky that could pose a problem. She is a young energetic yellow lab and doesn't care where she goes.

For the most part I designed the beds so I peronsally would only need to walk through to do maintenance.

Last question...what effect does the sun have on the coloring? For example the wood mulch typically greys out...I'd assume if its dark brown it would just become a light brown.

Thanks for all the help!

Worst case I make the switch and if I hate it I could always go back to shredded mulch. I may need to strech its useful life to 1 year. I'd have to save up $1K each year if I had to apply 2x a year.

I'd love to do the mulched leaves but no one offers it. Was told its pretty commmon south of us in IL.

Wet compost should be very similar in its 'tackiness' to a good quality soil - not overly muddy or sticky. I garden with dogs as well and have no issue with them, especially in winter, which tends to be our rainy, wet season. Some dirty paws for sure but not overly muddy :-)

Compost will continue to breakdown and rather more rapidly than wood based mulches, so it does tend to need to be reapplied a bit more often. I consider it a necessary investment, as it adds SO much to soil quality, even if only applied as a mulch. And it does remove the need to supplement with fertilizers.

You can certainly mulch up the leaves yourself - this is what most folks do. Just collect them each fall from wherever in your area - neighbors, friends and relatives, local parks, etc. Shred them using you lawnmower and then apply as a mulch or compost into leaf mold. Not quite the nutrient range a mixed compost offers but a decent and usually free mulch nonetheless.

Oh boy, I can't imagine mulching up to 15-20 yards worth of leavees !lol!

I'm looking forward to working with this type of mulch. I was starting to get annoyed with shredded wood mulch.

Oh yeah...I aassume same rules apply...compost needs to stay away from the trunks (shrubs and trees) correct? How about perrenials?

Here is my opinion. Peel back the hardwood mulch, lay down good compost, repile the h. Compost does best when roots are able to utilize it. Get it close to the roots. It would be good to spike it into the soil. No need to keep it away from trunks unless it will raise the soil level to high on the trunk. It won't "burn" them like chemicals may.

I would prefer to have it next to the soil as well, but if we're talking about a large enough area to eat up 15-20 yards of compost/mulch, that's a lot of existing mulch to get out of the way first :-)

And you DO need to keep the compost away from trunks or the stems of shrubs, just as you would with any other type of mulch. It is not 'burning' that is of concern (mulch doesn't 'burn') but rather the possibility that the mulch will hold moisture too close to the wood, encouraging rots and fungal issues. And the possibility of sheltering critters that can burrow close and nibble on the wood.

I too would much rather (and know it as the better choice) but as gg48 mentioned I'd have no way of pulling back the mulch and putting down the compost (without spending hours and hours on it). I'd say I have some where in the neighborhood of 5,000-7,000 sq.ft of mulch beds.