I have used it, Denise, but it does break down quicker than regular mulch. It does enrich the soil though, so how can you go wrong????

I've been using Landscaper soil conditioning mix as a kind of mulch. It looks like stuff that they might sweep up after shredding the larger mulch. Very fine, but not decomposed like compost. I've been putting a 2 inch layer of that under a very thin layer of the bark mulch. I've been really pleased with the retention of moisture and the insulating effect it has. The brand is EarthGro Landscapers soil conditioning mix, I got it at HD. Sorry I can't remember how much it was, (seems like $3.00 a bag) but I do remember that there were a couple of broken bags of it and when I asked the manager about them, he gave them to me at no charge so I ended up with a dozen bags instead of ten.

I like it as a mulch in containers as well since it's easier to get good coverage with it in those small spaces. Hopefully, the worms in the beds will do their job this winter and compost it down and and carry the by-product down into the soil for me :). I'd be careful about mixing it directly into the soil though since undecomposed organic matter will rob the soil of nitrogen.

Anyhoo, that's my $0.02 :).

Kristi

It probably works out the same in the long run-

Landscape mix will break down faster, but that means you don't have to add compost as often.

A sort-of similar material is tree trimmings, the kind you see being hauled to the dump in big orange trucks.

It's a mixture of wood & bark (carbon), & leaves (usually green, so they're nitrogen), so it breaks down faster than plain bark mulch, too, enriching the soil.

& if you can catch the tree trimmers when they're ready to unload the truck & go home, you often can get a truckload of it free *&* keep it out of the landfill.

I kind of figured it would help the soil. I suppose I could put it over the mulch in my existing beds this winter, then put a layer of new mulch over everything next spring. Buying it all at the same time would be too expensive. ;-) That is a good idea to use it in containers. Thanks.

OOP'S, I hope I didn't do the wrong thing. I used five bags of landscapers mix, it said to mix it in with the soil?
I did and so far everything is good.
If it does not work out and hurts my daylilies I think I'd be upset enough to go after the company for instructing buyers to mix it in with your soil.

Barb, the one I use is soil *conditioner* so it's intended to mix in with the soil as well, I just don't do it. If you end up seeing nitrogen problems (light green leaves with darker veins) just up the nitrogen in the beds and they should perk back up. My soil is pretty awful (even what I had hauled in) so I try not to add to the problems :).

Kristi

I haven't had any trouble my plants but needed to add more soil and to loosen the soil up and went with using the landscapers mix in with compose.. The new plants have been in their new bed for a little over a month now and they're looking great.
I must confuse that I do thing's in my garden that I don't check out first before doing it and later on find out it was ok but I don't wish to push my luck to far LOL.

I've been using pine straw as mulch and it works wonderfully for weed control. It doesn't have that fresh "mulch" look but when the plants are filled in, it really isn't noticeable. It keeps weeds out a lot better and you also don't have to worry about the trumpet vine seeds present in bark mulch.