Mulching Gardens

[The Helpful Gardener]

One of the banes of my existance; this horribly loud red mulch made from chopped up palletts (usually oak, so the fresh hardwood locks up ALL available nitrogen). Then the color washes, so they put down another layer...then another...and another...and five years down the road the plants are shrinking cuz they haven't seen nitrogen in half a decade, the water is running off because there are five distinct stratas, all shedding water like a duck's back...

BAD STUFF!

HG

[grandpasrose]

I don't think we must have it here, because I haven't seen anyone use it. We are red lava rock mining community, so that's what you see in everyone's yard here. Probably just as ugly, but probably not as detrimental. I prefer to use my own natural mulches that I find myself - I usually don't have to buy any materials.
VAL

[Grey]

Oh, yes, that chip bark mulch is EVERYWHERE around here. You can get cypress, cedar and oak, in red dyed or natural colors. ugghhhhh.

[grandpasrose]

We have the bark mulch here, cause we're a mill town, but I've never seen it dyed red!
VAL

[The Helpful Gardener]

Supposed to look like redwood; it TOTALLY detracts from the plant color (Had to use it one year at the Hartford FLower Show and so many designers raised a stink that some even brought in their own. Never happened again... )

HG

[grandpasrose]

Well - I guess so!!
VAL

[opabinia51]

Personally, I will never, ever, ever, EVER use any sort of bark mulch. I just really don't like the stuff. But, that is just a personal preference.

[The Helpful Gardener]

I like bark mulch if it's the right stuff. Going cheap is a mistake, but I have had wonderful experiences with softwood mixes and, most notably, aged pinebark, to name two. Just stay away from the hardwood...

HG

[grandpasrose]

I guess that's why I haven't heard of much of a problem with it, as we don't have a lot of hard woods up here. The closest we have to a hard wood in any volume is birch. Our bark mulch is all pine, fir, and cedar, straight from the mill!
VAL

[opabinia51]

Cedar is the main bark mulch that people get down here. I don't like the stuff because it is full of slivers and the acid content really irritates my skin. Anyway, you all know my opinion of wood mulches.

[The Helpful Gardener]

Opa, if it's not at the end of the twig, you could care less...

How am I doing so far?

The Less Than Helpful Gardener

[opabinia51]

I'm missing something with your joke but, I guess if you had to explain it, it would ruin the joke. I did laugh at the "less than helpful gardener" part though.

Oh, and you're doing .....fine?

[frogesque]

I've seen dyed; red, blue and green wood chips for sale as mulch but the only stuff I have used for weed control is composted bark. Its a forestry waste product, fairly acid and smells gorgeous. Great for a woodland area and rhodes, azaleas and hydrangeas do well with it.

[opabinia51]

Thanks for your input Frog. Outside opinions always welcome!