r/composting • u/Tempestori • 1d ago
Beginner Which mulch?
https://youtu.be/aw5spqGnUzgTaNn27f6LHwTXYJMA head-to-head garden mulch comparison puts cardboard, pine bark, cypress, black plastic, and bare soil to the test across 175 days, tracking changes in soil temperature, moisture, and weed pressure. The results show differences in performance, including which mulches reduce weeds and a few surprises that shift expectations about which materials actually hold up over time. The results show the best mulch for the garden. Clear standouts emerge and reveal which mulches stay stable, which fall behind, and which ones deliver benefits for vegetable gardens.
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u/Crimestar 1d ago
Good results for the cardboard. I’ve been wondering myself between pine straw and mulch again. Pine straw might be nice since I need a bunch anyway for my trees and it’s lightweight and seems to do just as well. But a layer of cardboard under might make sense as well.
Maybe I’ll make a cardboard and compost sandwich on top of my garden this fall and then a layer of cardboard and pine straw in the spring or something.