A barrier for what, between the mulch and the house or what?

As long as you use natural materials, it or they will rot away eventually. I have thought about making a pathway in my yard too. I think that I will eventually put large flat stones as a pathway. Putting them in a way that I can mow with a riding mower over them. The area will eventually be shaded. I will try to establish some shade loving ground-covers, so I wont have to cut around the paths once the ground-covers fill in. If in full sun always, I would try some hardy Sedum ground-covers.

The newspaper, or cardboard, is used to help extend the available mulch material because they will block a plants access to sunlight allowing the covering material to be much thinner than would be required to block that light. I have found that 6 to 8 pages of newspaper, or 1 layer of cardboard, is adequate if covered with about 2 inches of some mulch material. Instead of 4 to 6 inches of wood chips, for example, with newspaper or cardboard you can get by with 2 inches.
Later, a year or so, you could place more paper down or simple add more mulch material but enough now to get to that 4 to 6 inch depth. Keep in mind that paper, the newspaper and cardboard, are cellulose which is what termites eat. BUT placed on your soil and covered with a mulch material that paper will be wet and most termites only munch on dry cellulose.

Ok, now I assume you are talking about an additional barrier of weed protection.. I had great results by weedwacking all the weeds to the soil, covering with one layer of cardboard, the placing soil/compost on top of the cardboard, and planting! I didn't even weed the whole year, maybe 4-5 weeds I had to lift out of the fertile compost/soil.. And that was without even mulching(it was in the front house and the rich dark compost looked great, didn't want any mulch).. I could only imagie how effective it would be by applying mulch.. You won't be disappointed with a layer of cardboard, soil, then mulch..

Best of luck,
Joe

Thanks everyone...Raw Nature- A barrier for extra weed protection. If I do not use cardboard/paper are an extra weed barrier, is there anything else to use? I have read that termites do like the carboard/newspaper stuff also. Should I just put down the cedar mulch ( without an additional barrier)? Thanks again!

You could just put down the cedar mulch, provided you put down a thick enough layer to deprive the plants you want to discourage with the access to the sunlight they need to grow, 4 plus inches. Some people think that is too much but where only an inch or two has been put down I have seen "weeds" growing more healthy and stronger then without mulch.

I put several inches of mulch, whether is be compost,leaves or wood chips.. Several I mean 6" or even more.. If you are still thinking about going with the compost, I would do at least 6 inches.. It does shrink down when rain hits it.. I think your smart going with the compost, it looks very nice.. In your other thread I provided a link of what mine looks like..

Joe

Thank you for your advice! everyone! :-) One last thing..I live in New York, what is the best time to put down the mulch? Should I wait until later April or May?

I assume your going with compost as a mulch? You can put down mulch anytime.. But the thing is if you don't have your soil/mulch contained like a raised bed,etc.. The rain will wash it away,especially if your using compost -now woodchips,leaves,etc, not so much..Thats why some like to mulch after the rainy season, in may-June.. For vegetables gardeners people take the mulch away and let the sun warm the soil, then after they plant they mulch again... That being said I have my front yard filled with compost and I have it contained with decorative yard pavers, soil never washes away, even when the yard pavers fall down.. It also depends on how many roots are in the soil to hold the soil/prevent erosion.. If it is a perennial bed, it's not going to wash away as if no plant roots are holding the soil.. I would contain the bed, so you don't have these erosion problems.. I would also apply mulch whenevers most convienant, don't put to much thought in it...

Hope this helps,
Joe

The best time to put down mulch is when you have the material and the time. I have mulched planting beds in November and July. It matters little as long as it gets done.
If your soil is frozen fairly deeply you may not want to put mulch on now because that can help hold that soil temperature, so waiting until May is probably a good idea.