Hi Ashley, There was a lengthy discussion about mulch a few days ago. Perhaps that's why you're not getting much of a response. I don't think it matters what you ring your mulch with. I'd use whatever you have, or whatever looks pretty to you. The link below talks mostly of wood chips, but you can mulch with pretty much anything you have available that breaks down. I'd recommend keeping the mulch from touching the trunk and taking it out just past the drip line. Obviously it will grow a little each year. Keep an eye out for rodents nesting in/under the mulch. Here is a link that might be useful: Is fresh mulch OK for fruit trees

Your soil in Oregon will most likely be clay and near the coast will also most likely tend to be acidic. Start your soil improvement program by contacting the Oregon State University USDA Cooperative Extension Service about a good, reliable soil test for base nutrient load and soil pH levels. After this has been done dig in with these simple soil tests to see what you currently have and for a guide to what you need to do to improve that soil; 1) Structure. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. A good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top. 2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up. 3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart. 4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer you soil will smell. 5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy. Here is a link that might be useful: OSUCES

Many people have written posts about using wood products in organic gardening. This is a brief summary of what we have learned about the power of wood products in the soil: Fresh wood products like sawdust or pine needles or bark are great organic mulches. They keep down most weeds, regulate soil temperatures, attract many benneficial soil organisms, and are usually free or very cheap to get. However, there is some concern about the high acidity of products like pine needles and sawdust. Also some wood products made from black walnut trees can be allelopathic, due to the release of toxin products like juglone in the soil. There is also the concern of temporary nitrogen deficiencies in the soil near growing plant roots, because wood products are usually high carbon materials. If your wood products are well aged, over 6-12 months old, in most cases, any of the above issues are meaningless. Of course there are a few exceptions with some controversial wood products like black walnut tree products. The same is true if your compost any wood products with other "browns" and "greens", through a hot process, where internal temperatures exceed 140 degrees F, for several days, with constant aeration and moisturizing through the composting process. The resulting mature compost will have a near neutral pH, with all the mild toxins neutralized and balanced with other available soluble nutrients, so that your plants can grow safely and healthy in the soil. Good, active, highly aerobic, hot composting usually heals and breaks downs all issues that most gardeners have with controversal organic materials. If you keep enough mature compost or high nitrogen organic matter mixed in your soil underneath, even with using fresh acidic woody mulches, there will be no visible signs of nitrogen deficiencies, or soil pH issues, to your growing plants using these types of mulches. Nitrogen deficiencies are caused by high carbon materials in the soil, reacting with soil microbes, fighting to maintain the near 30:1 carbon-nitrogen ratio that they need to survive and grow as they benefit our soils, and for organic matter decomposition. All organic matter made from trees is rich in total calcium and potassium. Even wood ashes, can contain up to 70% calcium carbonate or calcium oxide (liming agents), and is rich in available potassium. NOTE: Never use wood ashes directly in your soil, if you haven't recently checked your native soil pH! Don't use wood ashes in your compost pile too much (Only use it if you have an abundance of ashes that you need to get rid of, or use in your gardening schemes). Wood ashes will chemically react with high nitrogen materials like fresh animal manures, and waste off a lot of your valuable nitrogen in the pile off as ammonia gas. Also any liming agent is not necessary in an active compost pile anyway. Compost will naturally go up and down in pH from very acidic, to very alkaline, to a resulting near neutral pH, as aerobic microbes break down and digest organic matter in the pile over time. Composted or well aged sawdust is also a powerful soil conditioner. It is better and cheaper than gypsum for aerating and loosening up native heavy clay soils. The extra calcium and potassium benefits are great assets also. Earthworms and soil microbes love it! In conclusion, using wood products as mulches or composting ingredients, is some of the best stuff in the world to use for soil building. Like everything else, use them wisely. Happy Gardening!

Organic Weed Control Methods ~ Mulching What is Mulch?" Mulch is a protective covering (such as of bark chips, compost, or grass clippings) overlaid on the ground. Mulch reduces the moisture loss from the soil by preventing evaporation from sunshine and desiccating winds. Mulch prevents erosion by eliminating or reducing the "splash-away" effect of torrential downpours. Mulch helps regulate soil temperature by shading it in the summer thus keeping it cooler and helps insulate it in the winter from chilling winds. This temperature regulating effect helps encourage the root growth of plants. Mulch helps to keep fruit clean (such as strawberries and tomatoes) by reducing muddy splash-ups during rainstorms. Mulch controls weed growth by smothering seedlings, prevents daylight which helps foster germination from reaching weed seeds, and prevents air-borne seeds from taking hold in the soil surface. Mulch helps prevent damage to trees and bushes by protecting their stems and surface roots from damage by mechanical garden tools such as weed whackers, edgers, and lawn mowers. Mulch helps prevent soil compaction by providing a cushion to walk upon. Walking on bare soil will compact it reducing its aeration and ability to drain. Mulch provides a more unified and tidy appearance to flower beds and borders. Mulch helps reduce yardwaste disposal and cash outlay. If you utilize your own yard wastes by chipping pruned branches and limbs, make your own compost, or use grass clippings and raked fallen leaves for mulch you won't have to bag and haul them to the curb for collection or pay for their disposal, you won't utilize land-fill space, and you'll keep your wallet in your pocket because the mulch you create is free. Mulch enriches the soil as it breaks down and releases nutrients back into the ground. Mulch, if not already decomposed, will encourage microbial organisms which are beneficial to healthy plants. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ "What are some common mulches?" Chipped hardwood bark mulch: Is readily available for home-owners from township landfills. It is made from ground and/or chipped trees. It is often free or available at a low cost. The downside of chipped bark mulch from municipalities is that it may contain bark from diseased trees. Compost it for a year before using it in your garden. Before you apply the aged bark mulch topdress your garden soil with fertilizers high in nitrogen such as blood-meal, cottonseed-meal, manure, or guano. Softwood bark mulch: Made from pine, fir, or redwood, is available in many different sizes. It is long lasting and excellent for use in foundation plantings. Compost: Is an excellent mulch that you can make at home by composting various yardwastes such as leaves, grass clippings, plants and soft-wood bush prunings, coffee grounds, and non-animal kitchen wastes. Partially decomposed composted material is one of the most nutrient rich mulches you can use. As it breaks down it releases nutrients into the soil. Crushed Corncobs: Regionally available inexpensive mulch. It is generally available as a dyed or natural product. Corncob mulch is a cushioning mulch and is often used in playgrounds. Hay: Often used in rural and farm gardens because it is more likely to be available at the least expensive cost. The use of aged bales may reduce the weed content. Apply hay mulch after the ground has warmed to discourage mice and voles from tunneling under it. Spent Hops: Available from breweries. Can be a bit "whiffy" after application but the scent will dissipate after a few weeks. Buckwheat Hulls: Buckwheat hull mulch is fluffy and is excellent for use around perennials and annuals. Cocoa-bean Hulls: Cocoa-bean hull mulch is a rich brown color and smells like chocolate-heaven (yumyum!). Apply it in a thin layer as it can otherwise become slimy or moldy. If applied at greater than a three inch depth you may wish to occasionally rake it to stir the hulls about, thus reducing the dampness which fosters the mold. Peanut Hulls: Peanut hull mulch is available from garden centers near peanut growers and processors. As it breaks down it provides some nitrogen to the soil. Lawn Clippings: Grass clippings are best used after they've been allowed to dry. If applied while they're fresh they can compact and generate heat while decomposing. They can produce strong odors the first week or two of decomposition but the scent will subside after that. It is not recommended to use grass clippings from lawns that have been treated with pesticides, fungicides, or herbicides. Leafmold: This mulch is available from most municipal composting facilities or you can make your own. Autumn gathered leaves left to decompose over winter will provide you with leafmold ready for use the following spring. Fallen Leaves: The least expensive form of mulch available. It is readily available in Autumn near woody areas. Fallen leaves may be used as is, chopped with the lawn mower to reduce their size, or compost them during winter and use them as leafmold the following spring. Manure: Available as a bagged commercially composted product at garden centers, or available fresh from stables and farms. Fresh manure should be composted for at least six months to reduce nitrogen burn when applied around plants and to reduce the viability of weed seeds in the manure itself. Mushroom soil/compost: Is available at garden centers or sources near commercial mushroom growers. It is generally inexpensive. Peat Moss: A commonly used mulch, it is attractive when applied thickly. Look for course-grade peat moss when using it for a mulch. It can be cost prohibitive when used for mulching large areas. Peat moss will shed water when it's dry rather than absorbing it. You can help maintain it's moisture by watering this mulch regularly when you also water your lawn. Pine Needles: Are a light colored, fluffy, and pretty mulch. Leave them in place under pine trees rather than removing them. Rake them from your lawn grass and use them to mulch around acid-loving plants such as azaleas, blueberries, and rhododendrons. They are also excellent to use as a cushioning mulch for garden paths and will release their pine scent when walked upon. Sawdust: Available from timber mills or other wood processing businesses. As it decomposes it can cause nitrogen loss from the the soil so if used in garden beds apply nitrogen rich fertilizers regularly. Sawdust is an excellent mulch for garden paths. It is not recommended to use sawdust from chemically treated or painted wood. Straw: Can be used for winter protection as an overlay in muddy areas and will provide some traction on icy paths. It is also frequently used as a mulch in veggie gardens. Do not use straw mulch in frequently used areas as it is highly inflammable. Do not use it to mulch walkways as it can be easily ignited by a carelessly tossed smoldering cigarette butt. Wood Chips: Can be obtained from arborists, utility companies, municipal yard waste facilites, and garden centers. They are very long lasting and make a good overlayment for paths and walkways. To learn more about mulch and the wonderful effect of compost and micro-organisms in the soil please visit the "Soil, Compost, and Mulch Forum" and do read their fabulous FAQs. Taking care of your soil is vital to having a garden of healthy and vigorous plants.