You can use grass clippings, pine needles, and fall leaves (chopped up). We use compost but if you don't want to weed you'll have to put a layer of the above mentioned on top of the compost. My husband keeps up with the weeding so our compost mulch is merely for retaining moisture, not to keep down weeds. However, grass clippings, pine needles, and chopped up fall leaves will easily help reduce your weeding.

You'll need a laywer of about an inch for grass clippings, pine needles or chopped up leaves.

If you're wondering how to chop of the leaves--just use the lawn mower. You can save fall leaves for spring by putting in bags or just keeping them in a pile somewhere.

Just remember if you use grass clippings to not use any that are going to seed. Your weekly grass clippings aren't likely to go to seed though--because it's being cut all the time.

I use mlushroom soil.