Software
Houzz Logo Print
ingeborgdot

Mulch people use.

14 years ago

I was just curious as to what type of mulch people use on their gardens. I know some use bark, while others use cedar chips and many other mulches. I use cotton seed hulls which is very good but I have to replace it every year and it does get costly. I have noticed some on here use pebbles or some small rocks. That looks very neat and for me would be very good for one main reason. I live in western Kansas and the wind blows here. Wood chips and other light things tend to blow away. I am really thinking of going with some type of pebbles like some of the pictures on here but am not sure what to get. I also can't seem to find the pictures I was looking at the other day that got me interested in that type of mulch. So if anyone can point me in the right direction to find those pictures I would really appreciate it. If you would also be able to help me out with the kind of mulch you use and if it blows or not I would like your opinions. Thanks.

Comments (13)

  • 14 years ago

    We get strong winds here too. In some places I use a "river rock" type mulch which seems to work fine.

    Pinus flexilis 'Antero'
    {{gwi:677144}}

  • 14 years ago

    I use wood chips, they do tend to get blown into the yard only when we get 30+MPH winds. However, when I mow the grass I just make sure the part of the mower where the grass exits is pointed at the mulch bed and it blows everything back into the bed. It may leave a few pcs behind, but those are chopped up over the next couple mowings. If I could use rocks I probably would, but decorative rocks can get expensive and hard to move especially when you would need hundreds of tons.

  • 14 years ago

    Well, 30+ is pretty common. You can get that 2 -3 times a week.

  • 14 years ago

    Wood chips and those enviro mulchs are horrible for windy and sloped conditions.

    You have to go for the stringy, shredded hardwood mulch. Its the best. My mulch doesn't move even on the slopes where a wind tunnel is created between two houses.

    Pebbles are great for low maitenance and for drought tolerant plants...that is why they are used extensively for conifers.

    If you have large beds with many decidious plants as well I typically don't recommend them as they actually compact the soils when you walk on them.

  • 14 years ago

    folks down here use cotton mill waste, but it can contain concentrations of natural (and un-natural) toxins.

    i use whatever is least expensive -- and while our sustained winds are nothing like yours, we get gusts and downpours that make sloped mulching hard to maintain.

    in our most problematic area, we built mini terraces (just about 3" high) and layered them with pinestraw, fine mulch form the store, then rough, large sized lumber mill waste (wood is green, so yeah, not the best mulch). The heavier chunks of green wood held everything together and the clay terrace acts as a mini water/mulch holder

    in this area, we're just talking hazelnuts, not huge trees, so the plan worked.

    in my protected areas, i've got a source for sawdust that I cover with pine bark much, pine straw, or whatever is on sale

    we also grow some sunflowers for the birds and for show, each fall I chop up the long stalks and place them in as mulch in various spots in the back yard (spouse won't let me use them in the front because they are ugly).

  • 14 years ago

    I use pine bark mulch, ponderosa to be specific. The color of the ponderosa pine bark looks great under all my conifers.. plus it last 2+ years. Also, we have strong winds, 30+ are very common this time of the year. The pieces of bark lay flat on the ground, and they are quite heavy.
    I don't use pebbles as they will reflect and retain heat longer during summer. Pebbles will retain heat well into the night when day time temperatures reach 90F, not allowing my plants to cool down. That is of course my case, as I live in the high desert.

  • 14 years ago

    I use pretty much anything and everything. As my collection grows and gardens get bigger more mulch is needed and it seems the tree trimmers/chippers are getting less generous with free mulch. I use shreded tree trimming, pine straw and been using more and more leaf mold. Seems every one will give you leaves. I partially compost it down and then use it as a mulch. We get high wind too in South Dakota and it seems to stay put for the most part. What doesn't just compost away over the summer. Like using big rocks to take up bare ground also

  • 8 years ago

    Bump. I'd love to hear about the type of mulch everyone is using.

  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Wood chips here. All slopes are textured prior to putting the mulch down so it won't wash away in our Seattle rains. Groundcovers installed shortly after, or during, application of mulch, so you won't need it next year and have to worry about it washing or blowing away.

  • 8 years ago

    Pine bark mulch and/or pine straw. The nice thing about using pine straw is that you get a free refresher when the loblollies drop their needles!

  • 8 years ago

    I use the no-float cypress mulch from the big box store or pine straw from the yard. Rocks aren't really mulch but can work for decorative purpose and keeping weeds and grass away. I use trap rock from the local nursery.

  • 8 years ago

    I tried several different kinds of mulch last year and the one that stayed put the best of all the wood type mulches, was the "Pine bark nuggets" which consisted of heavy chunks of the outside bark similar to mature white pines. I don't know what type of pine it was from but that's what it reminded me of. It was almost black but heavy and stayed put even in my open windy conditions.

  • 8 years ago

    Still using the shredded hardwood mulch which has 50% bark content. Need to replace more but increases the organic content in the soil. Unless you're getting free mulch from your city/village or creating your own its very cheap compared to other mulches.

    If I had the money I'd use shredded hemlock