those dollar weeds and my grass tend to grow right through mulch. i put down black paper designed to stop weeds from growing through but allow moisture to pass and then put mulch over it.

they make a mulch that has weed killer in it at home depot.

all my mulch is organic, you have to be really careful if your growing organic food because it could contain arsenic.

there was a Hersheys mulch made from cocoa that is toxic to dogs.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cocoa Meal Shell Mulch

I replaced all my lawn w/ mulch two years ago and I was actually thinking of turning it because I've heard it gets matted and then won't let air in, but have not(and,now,WILL NOT!)done so yet.

You know, my biggest money waster was buying weed fabric because the weeds out here grow right on top of the mulch, they are so aggressive they do not need soil!!! Also, that weed fabric that is supposed to be good for 10 years or so, well, I've dug it up and let me tell you it already looks half decomposed,lol!

Use layers of newspapers instead of weed block. I wet it after laying it down then add 3 inches of mulch. Hardly ever had a weed problem.

I got tired of replacing the mulch every 3-4 months so I put in.......red lava rocks. Now the guy who cuts my yard hates me because the dogs play with the rocks, scatter them in the yard, wherein he ruins his lawn mower blades on them. Plus I step on them constantly as I am a native Floridian who likes to walk in the yard barefoot. I am slowly going back to mulch. I guess there is no easy way out.

Plus - any kind of stone or rock acts like miniature heating pads in your flowerbeds . Kind of like solar cooking .

I agree with msmarion . Newspaper or cardboard make a great base for mulch .

Weed seeds arrive by air and sprout thanks to the breezes and birds . Pulling weeds is a year round activity in Florida . Just think of it as cheap exercise !

i have found that, over time, the weed problems get better. i've had some areas in my yard mulched since 2003 and i hardly ever get weeds in them. sometimes i use cloth and sometimes i use papers, but mostly i use nothing... it takes a few months to get rid of the weed seeds, and you'll never get rid of the betony, oxalis and spiderwort, but given some patience, things get better.

like mary sez, it's florida, there will always be weeds, 365 days a year... but vigilance and regular weeding makes things easier with time.

I've found that the less you disturb the soil, the fewer weeds you have. We also just keep piling on top. We have extremely few weeds for the amount of mulch areas we have, and when one pops up it is easy to pull. I never use a hoe because it just brings seeds to the surface.

A couple of months ago we gave away a mango tree that was planted in the veggie garden. I add a lot of organic stuff to the garden and never disturb the soil except to open a small hole for seedlings. The drainage there is great. Where the mango was dug up, there are still some drainage issues when it rains, and the weeds are popping up daily. The rest of the garden rarely gets a weed, and never gets a puddle.

Anna