What type of mulch do you use?

[TJD]

Because of mulch my hoe has almost retired. I love grass clippings. I pour them on deep and wide so they seal out the sun light. I agree, I don't use clippings that contain weed seed. I don't use clippings off a yard that has been sprayed with weed killer. I learned that lesson the hard way. I have used the ground up tree branches from the tree trimmering co. It is best used on crops like black berrys and straw berrys. Just broad cast some extra fertlize before you spread the wood chips. Wood chips mixed with the stuff from under the chicken roost make a great combination. I add a new deep layer each year.

[Tomatoman]

I always went with the lawn clippings, myself. They break down relatively quickly and add a nice slow supply of nitrogen throughout the season. The price is right also.

[festus]

My wife's cousin's husband owns a sawmill nearby. We can get a truckload of mulch very cheap. Usually I lay down newspapers first as extra anti-weed reinforcement (with no colored ink photos), only black and white print. Then scatter the mulch on top. Sometimes I use dried pine needles I can find in the woods for acid loving plants. For organic fertilizer, our neighbors down the hill have a large goat farm where I go shovel manure, that is some rich stuff.

[Tomatoman]

Those are all great methods, festus. That'll make a garden grow! I have chickens, so i compost a lot of manure, bedding, and feathers from them along with leaves, lawn clippings, and any other organic matter i can get my hands on. I add the compost to the soil and use it to make compost tea as well. All those nutrients and microbial life will do amazing things for plants.

[Mark J]

I have used many different types of mulch in my garden in the past; newspaper (never again), grass, straw and landscaping paper. I was wondering what you all use to keep weeds down and moisture in.

I use Post for grass, it won't kill a broadleaf (my beans) . And 2-4D for broadleaf, it won't kill grass (corn).
And of course good ol hands and knees plucking.

So the corn rows I gotta pluck grass.
Bean rows I gotta pluck weeds.

Other then that a properly set up tractor or tiller.

[canebreaker]

Last season was the first year to try mulching the garden. I had 2 rows of tomatoes and a row of okra. I layed out a cover of newspaper and covered with leaf mulch. Another bed with okra was leaf mulch without the paper.
For now I'm hauling in loads of cotton hulls and manure for wintering. Part of the garden is covered with greens. There are leaves as big as serving platters. All will be turned over when I'm ready to start planting.
After I till the middles the second time this year, I'll start laying out the paper and leaves with soaker hose under it.

[Mark J]

I have about 20 pines boarding my property, I will use the pine needles has mulch for the garden.

Leaves and pine needles are really high in acid.
Ever walked much in agricultural fields and noticed that close the tree line the corn or soybeans are thin and smaller?
That is because the soil close to the treeline is more acidic because of the trees in the area.

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Depending on the soil the may not be a good thing.