Still, I would never use rubber mulch or any type of synthetic mulch in my garden. Using inorganic mulch depends on what type of vegetable plants you are growing. This mulch is made from coconut shells and is a perfect alternative to the tree bark-based mulches. So, mulch with fines used as ground cover mulch actually wastes water, whilst good airflow chunky ground cover mulch saves water. We make mulch by recycling wood wastes and we also protect the environment. Category: Weed Control garden mulch vegetables weeds. A layer of leaves, 2 to 3 inches thick after compaction, provides good annual weed control. Lucerne mulch and pea straw break down fairly quickly but that's not a bad thing because they help to feed soil micro-organisms and worms, creating healthy soil. Straw mulch is made from dehydrated pine needles making it a very environmentally-friendly product to use for vegetable gardens. However, for vegetable gardens with annual plants (the most common types of crops in gardens are annual plants), using cypress mulch is rather expensive in the long run. Click to see full answer. How To Prepare Your Garden For Planting Vegetables. This is because the benefits derived from the decomposition of organic mulch can’t be gotten with cypress that takes a long time to decompose. The cedar wood originates from different trees known as “cedars” that grow in various parts of the world. However, the downside is that other insects such as bugs are also attracted by decomposing mulch. Besides that, I think it looks good and gives your garden a natural look. Many of these chemicals are passed to the dyed mulch and if we use these materials as mulch for our garden, we risk contaminating the soil and vegetables with dye and other potentially dangerous substances. Chemically-treated cedar shavings would introduce harmful chemicals to your garden’s soil. Instead, using compost as garden mulch provides excellent plant nutrition and improves the condition of your soil This mulch is available in several different colors (most popular are red, green, brown, and black) and it’s made from recycled wood (it can be anything from wood pallets to lumber or wood from demolition sites). The good news is that the smell should dissipate fairly quickly if the mulch is in the hot baking sun. Although wood mulches such as chipped hard and softwoods, cedar, cypress and pine bark aren't used much in vegetable gardens, they can be used around perennial vegetables such as asparagus or rhubarb. One key component to the success of your garden is the use of mulch. The EZ Straw mulch is safe for children and pets and made to keep your garden 99% weed-free. One consequence of that is you won’t have to water your vegetables frequently when using this as mulch. Pasture hay needs to be weathered before using as mulch, even the seed from good quality grasses are not desirable in the veggie garden and if left to germinate will turn your garden into a weedy nightmare. The much-vaunted water retention properties are lost. Some gardeners avoid using the pine straw mulch because of the myth that once they decompose, the pine straws will make the soil acidic and will lead to a decline in soil fertility. This mulch is slightly more affordable than Ultra Nu-Straw and will perform up to par. Adapting this plan for building garden soil by using a wood mulch — such as wood chips, sawdust or other woody residues — is a strategy that promises huge, long-term returns. And there are several different kinds of mulch, each with its own set of pros and cons. For instance, due to the slow decomposition rate of cypress, it’s not advisable to use it in vegetable gardens with annual crops. I prefer this mulch type because is 100% organic and does its job extraordinarily well. Anna BrownAdded: June 29, 2018Updated: July 13, 2019. Covering it with mulch helps keep the moisture from evaporating, and blocks the sun’s rays, keeping the soil damp and cool. ;) All the politically incorrect arguments against it aside, cypress isn't an ideal mulch for a vegetable garden. The trees are ground into chips or shredded. Cypress trees grow in Florida's forested wetlands. Using cypress as mulch for your garden has benefits and disadvantages. Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott, Ph.D., Extension Horticulturist and Associate Professor at Puyallup Research and Extension Center at Washington State University, in “The Myth of Rubberized Landscapes” has concluded the following: So, it appears I’m not the only one who thinks that the rubber mulch is very toxic for plants. In nature, these trees provide the home for several species of wildlife and their roots also provide a natural water filtration system for ponds. Your email address will not be published. As well as moisture retention and protecting the garden from the menace of nasty weeds, it has a strong smell that is excellent at repelling insects and bugs from the garden. Rubber mulch is not as effective as other organic mulch choices in controlling weeds. Cypress mulch is composed of both wood and bark. If you are buying the cedar shavings from a store, make sure the package clearly states it’s 100% natural. It is primarily a decorative mulch best used in flower beds and landscaped areas.