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Garf
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Joined: Wed Aug 18, 2010 5:35 pm
Location: Miami, FL

Container Mulch

What would be a good mulch to use in containers?

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gixxerific
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Location: Wentzville, MO (Just West oF St. Louis) Zone 5B

I generally do not mulch my containers. But I have and I have used regular ground mulch, grass, odds and ends of this and that.

Does it really help, hard to say. I would think it does help a little bit.

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applestar
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Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

Compost is always good. I did that -- at least 1" layer -- with my big patio containers and windowboxes this summer.

My other containers go directly on the ground and the grass grows around them. I don't mulch them but I let the grass grow to the height of the containers which shades them and keep the roots cool(er).

Oh, I DO mulch my avocados in their containers with their own dead and pruned leaves cut up into small pieces (to fit the container) because I read that this is their natural state and there is substance in the leaves that breaks down and leaches into the soil which helps to prevent root rot. Same with the bananas.

Also, my containers that winter indoors get watered with used coffee grounds and worm compost in the watering can. They also all have at least one earthworm in each pot. So by spring, they all have a layer of used coffee grounds and worm compost on the surface of the soil mix.

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Garf
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Location: Miami, FL

I just had my PonGam tree trimmed, so I asked the trimmers to shred some of the wood as fine as they can for me. I got half a garbage bag of finely shredded wood for use as mulch. It wouldn't be enough for a raised bed, but should do nicely for my containers.



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