A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Food Garden Forum Mulch alternatives?

Any suggestions for materials to use for mulch? Especially those that are free?
I lost my job and have all the time to garden, but no money to do it with.

My garden really could use some mulch to keep the weeds down. We have this awful plant called burdock root infesting our back yard; it is the bane of my existence...but I digress. It seems like newspaper or grass clippings might work, but I have no clue. Any help is appreciated.

Find out if your city or county gives mulch away for free. Some do. Newspaper or cardboard can be used but it isn't very pretty. Pine needles, straw (I love straw), even leaves that you run over with your lawn mower to shred. Others may come along with more ideas for you.

tina hit the nail on the head.

Yep! Our town has a compost facility and they mulch the branches people drop off and the mulch is free.

Grass clippings work very well. If fresh spread them about an inch thick and let them dry before putting more on top. Know some say you need to let bermuda dry real well to keep it from starting in your garden. I have never had that problem but the clipping I get from the recreation department for free has very little bermuda in them. I also use loose hay from around the haystacks. Here if you look you will find something. JD

boy Tamara from Minn. that's a good deal.

Newspapers aren't free but I've used them before. I just spread them out and cover with some of the dirt already there. Then wet to keep from blowing away.

Great ideas. Thanks all. We just mowed the lawn for the first time, and I have a bunch of grass clippings I can use. I don't care if it's pretty, as long as it does the job.

and i learned, from accident, if you wet your newspapers slightly before you put down in your bed the wind won't blow them all around. you can paper the whole area then go back and cover with grass clipppings, pine straw, hay, dirt, whatever. it seems to make the job go quicker for me doing it that way.