This has been an interesting thread and I do not wish to hijack it or ruffle any feathers but I would like to point out a misconception. I work for a log home company who sells primarily cypress (any tree huggers out there wanna' lynch me up that's fine). A couple of the main reasons many home owners choose cypress wood is because it is more resistant to rot and most insects & termites will chew a pine house to the ground before they go for a cypress one because of the natural preservative cypressine oil it contains. Now I know cutting down trees even to build homes may as well be considered a crime to some but I can tell you from my experience what happens with regard to the mulch end of things. The mill I work for puts out a finished product, in other words a cut and shaped log ready to be used to build a home. My employers buy the rough unfinished timbers from several different mills in other states. I can tell you that not one of the mills we use down there that harvest the trees cut down those trees in order to make mulch. It is a by-product created when trees are cut down to make lumber and timbers. These mills cut lumber from their own property and then replant them. It makes no financial sense for them to cut down a tree and chip it into little mulch pieces when it can be rough sawn and fetch a hefty price from the housing industry. The mulch is created from the bark and limbs that would otherwise be discarded as trash. Now I can only speak for the mills that we buy from and perhaps there are mills out there that destroy the trees just for the sake of mulch, but fiscally speaking that just wouldn't make much sense. Again, I know cutting down a tree regardless of its intended use is a hot topic for alot of folks but if you actually like cypress mulch I wouldn't feel too guilty about using it. That tree didn't die because you wanted to control your weeds, it was dead already because somebody wanted to build a home, a restaurant or a church. I have access to a pile of discarded cypress mulch because it isn't even worth the trouble for our company to start selling it. Even with access to it I don't use it myself because I personally don't like the look of it. As this thread has pointed out though there are other alternatives to cypress and pine mulch. Use what works best for you =) Just another perspective. Sincerely, Squirrellypete

I've been using fresh wood chips for years and have never had any problems. You can always add nitrogen-rich fertilizer, but I rarely even do that. I've let some sit in the driveway a year or so and wound up with wonderful compost full of fat worms, but I figure it might as well compost in the garden. I use a thick layer of pine chips on paths, then scrape it off into the garden when it decomposes, but it will last several years. I use hardwood in the garden beds, with or without nitrogen, because it breaks down faster. Just DON'T use it close to the house where termites may take up residence.

Absolutely free & a good source of nitrogen is your own herbicide free grass clippings, but if you don't have a lawn maybe you can ask a friend to call you when they're going to mow & you can go pick up immediately. It's important to dry them right away. When I've bagged up for a day or so before drying it was harder to dry because the matted together. Also shorter clippings dry faster because the separate easier. This is how I do it: Mow on a dry day, spread out on a tarp to dry, then use to mulch your vegetable garden. I prefer to spread a light 1/2" layer and build up to about an inch around greens & more around larger plants. When you put them in a bucket & spread by the pinch it is done rather quickly because they're loose & easy to move around with your fingers without damaging plants. Don't bother with a tool. Free used coffee grounds from coffee shops also work well when topped with dried grass clippings. The grass prevents splashing up of coffee grounds onto vegetables and evens out the mulch for a neater appearance. If you have access to free straw or old hay either works fine for larger plants like cucumbers & tomatoes. I mulch tomatoes because I don't want weeds growing or the soil drying out. I haven't considered that it kept the soil cooler. I gather about 3 straw bales in the fall & leave out in the rain on an unplanted part of the garden until the next late spring when I start mulching strawberries & larger plants again.

I have been using the free mulch from both Loudoun and Fairfax counties. Last year I had my house on the market so I figured that I would get a load of "good looking" mulch so I got a few yards from Sterling Ground Covers. Sure it did not have the bits of trash that the county mulch is know for, but it really did not look much different. There are a handful of garden centers on Route 50 west of 28 and I suspect that most of them sell bulk mulch. I know that Meadows Farms does. I know that Merrifield Garden Center sells bulk mulch. The current price at Sterling Ground Covers is $20.50 per yard (equals nine 3 cu ft bags). I just checked the current Meadows Farms ad and it lists hardwood mulch for $19.99 per yard. - Brent