nuggets vs. mulch

13 years ago

I have some questions regarding the use of pine bark nuggets (standard size or mini) compared with pine mulch when used for trees, shrubs and perennials.

1. Which one is more effective in suppressing weeds and grass? (I plan to cover the soil with 3" of one or the other.)

2. Is one better than the other for allowing water and air to get into the soil; keeping the soil surface cool and not baked by the sun, etc. (I suppose I'm really asking which is 'healthier' for the soil and plants being supporting.)

3. Does the pine mulch need more frequent replenishing? (I'm guessing it does but am unsure.)

Recently, it seems that bags of pine materials (from different companies) contain an increasing amount of large shredded pieces of wood that are not pine. They look a bit like pieces of mulch that's packaged as 'hardwood' mulch. Is there a reason for this?
Also, the bags of pine mulch I've seen contain a large amount of very fine material (looks very much like dust) compared with actual shredded pieces of pine. Is this typical?
Thanks.

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Comments (3)

toxcrusadr
13 years ago
I would think the finer shreds would do better at blocking weeds by forming a mat that is more impenetrable to light going in and sprouts coming up. At the same time it's going to be a little harder to get water through it.

I don't buy bagged mulches so I don't know how to advise you on what you're seeing. One thing to keep in mind is that products tend to be produced locally or regionally due to the transportation cost. The end product will depend on the source material and the kind of processing (shredding and screening). You just have to look around for a product you like (or can tolerate).

If the stuff you like the look of is more expensive, you can use cheaper mulch underneath and top it with what you like. If there's too much sawdust, that's going compact and possibly shed water. They might be disposing of their sawmill sawdust by mixing it into the mulch stream. If you like the stuff otherwise and have a need for sawdust - such as for browns in your compost - you can always screen it out with a chicken wire screen, but that's a lot of work if you use a lot of mulch.
TXEB
13 years ago
My experience with pine was only with the bark as mulch, and that it tended to float and wash away in heavy rains. I'm not sure if the wood is any better in that regard, but if you are in an area that gets periodic heavy rains, or if it will be underlying runoff from a roof it is something to consider.
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Kimmsr
13 years ago
Both of those mulches will work, if they are applied thick enough to keep the unwanted plants ("weeds") for access to the sunlight they need to grow.
It can take less of the bark fines to do that then the bark nuggets which, being larger, can allow sunlight to reach the soil if applied an inch or two thick.
Bark fines can float away in heavy rain more easily then would the nuggets, but both could float away in a real gully washer.
As a general rule of thumb, the finer the material the easier it is for the Soil Food Web to digest it so fine material does tend to "disappear" faster.
Hardwood mulches are just as good as pine mulches. What to watch out for is dyed mulches that may be made of construction debris and can contain Oriented Strand Board, Plywood, and other materials that may contain glues and adhesives you may not want in your garden.