After buying 6 bags of finer cypress mulch to hold me until the mulch truck comes with my 5 yards from hardwood, I happened to be reading "The Holistic Orchard" by Michael Phillips, who gives super detailed explanations about why one would not want to use a softwood mulch for fruit trees or garden plants. He's done many experiments and has concluded that ramial mulch from the upper branches and outer/newer growth is incomparable in the way it promotes soil fertility - especially with miccorhizal fungi and such. Here's an excerpt from p. 9: "The arrays of familiar choices at the home and garden center generally do not cut it from a biological perspective. Bark mulch comes from softwood logs for the most part, and therefore comes rich in tannic compounds that once protected standing evergreens from decay.. ..Tannins will suppress healthy growth in garden and orchard alike.....Bulk wood chips in a bag....are a brown rot phenomenon.... Let [it] rot for a few years and it's a whole different story.. -Michael Phillips, "The Holistic Orchard" He then goes on to discuss why you never want to use landscape cloth under your mulch if your long-term goal is healthy, fertile soil. Wet newspapers or cardboard are fine, as many have already mentioned here. The former creates a crust of inhospitable hardpan. Despite the problems with these mulches, they shouldn't impede water flow, as mentioned by nhardy above. I almost wonder if your problem was due to the "weed block".

just a few nights ago, I found that both my brothers (one aged 12, the other 23, which is older than me) did not know what an artichoke was over dinner conversation and I remember a while ago the younger brother wasn't sure which berry was a raspberry And I still have to explain to people what leeks are I once was buying okra at the supermarket, and the guy at the register asked me what it is (then again, I'm a yankee up North) I swear that if modern America's current state of wealth, technology and prosperity ends, people will be malnourished instead of fat because they don't know how to eat - I could just imagine it, some really big war breaks out, and then there is a recession followed by high taxes and food rationing like in WW2, and instead of hearing about America's health crisis being fat people with heart disease, it will be scurvy because people refuse to eat vegetables and just go "ewwwww" like little children I mean seriously think about it, the only vegetation or vitamin C a lot of louses out there with the palates of children get come from the lettuce and tomato on burgers, or maybe potatoes, in the form of french fries I'm just so sick of so many people not knowing or appreciating even the most basic foods - I've devoted tons of time to learning to cook, and I'm the only one I can cook for who won't whine about every little thing. I mean GOD FORBID something should be even a little bit more strongly flavored than bread or water... or hamburger patties it irritates me people not only don't know where their food comes from, they barely even know what food is (or what goes into it) or how to eat - they just graze along, gnoshing upon whatever meat-starch combinations happen to be on the menu or fast-food-wall-list

maybe i can help clear up some confusion here ive worked in the nusresry industry for 10 years now and i am a buyer for one of these types of chain stores, orchard supply hardware. truthfully, home depot, lowes, walmart, taget, all of these we all buy from similar if not the same sources as each other. now independent nurseries and garden centers, buy from the same growers as we buy from with one major difference, some do actually grom their own material to sell at a slightly higher profit. most chain garden centers are focused on one thing and that is turning the product so sitting on it and waiting for it to grow doesnt make good business sense especially when their space is entirely taken up for merchandise. alot of independent nurseries get their plants already grown and ready to go to the consumer, just like i buy them, the quality is the same because they come from the same grower, the same crop. the biggest difference in what the plant quality looks like is when the consumer goes to shop for the product. alot of times you go into a chain store and the plants are wilting the soil in the pot is dry and theres no clerk to be found or none that are knowledgeable. the key is to shop around, find that one place that caters to your needs and has the product selection and the quality you like, remember the plants when they come off the delivery truck are virtually the same its the finished product that counts look for a place that hass a friendly and knowledgeable sales staff and that keeps a clean and neat place to shop, one clue is to look at the way the employees are working, are they putting plants away or hanging out with other employees when much of the plants in the nursery are obviously dying from a lack of water? these are the places you should stter clear of. the places that do the right thing in these circumstances and that focus on making an enjoyable shopping experience for the consumer are the ones you should goto. price is definately a concern. most chain stores now do price matching so ask. so to answer the question. yeah go ahead and give home depot a shot if the satisfy your needs. go for it.

Thanks to Jim Dennis, we have a great list of Arizona nurseries. Please use your own judgement when choosing a nursery or ask a forum member's experience with the nursery. Garden Web does not endorse any of the nurseries below. Favorite TUCSON Nurseries - Catalina Heights- Pima St. Harlow's- Pima St. Terra Designs- Pima St. Mesquite Valley- Way out on Speedway Rillito Nursery- La Cholla + Orange Grove Tucson Botanical Gardens Plant Sale- Check the website Plants of the Southwest- Near Blacklidge & Stone Phoenix Area Nurseries Arizona Nurseries     Name Address City/Zip Phone A and P Nursery 6129 E Brown Rd  Mesa AZ 85205 480-396-8800   2645 W Baseline Rd Mesa AZ 85202 480-839-5362   2601 E Baseline Rd Gilbert AZ 85234 480-892-7939 Australian Native Landscapes 29035 N Black Canyon Hwy Phoenix AZ 85085 623-780-8500 Australian Outback Nursery P.O. Box 799 Tonopah AZ 85354 623-780-8500 AZ Cactus Sales 1619 S Arizona Ave Chandler AZ 85248 480-963-1061 Bach's 8602 N Thornydale Rd Tucson AZ 85742   Baker Nursery 3414 N 40th St Phoenix AZ 85018 602-955-4500 Berridges Nursery 4647 E Camelback Rd Phoenix AZ 85018 602-952-8080 Black Mountain 4840 E Dynamite Blvd Cave Creek AZ 85331 480-585-3740 Boyce Thompson Arboretum 37615 US Hwy 60 Superior AZ 85273 520-689-2723 Desert Botanical Gardens 1201 N Galvin Parkway Phoenix AZ 85008 480-481-8101 Elgin Nursery 8606 W McDowell Rd Phoenix AZ 85037 623-936-1100 Harpers Nursery 2529 N. Hayden Rd Scottsdale AZ 85257 480-946-3481   1830 E McKellips Rd Mesa AZ 85203 480-964-4909 Greenfield's 2558 E Lehi Rd Mesa AZ 85213 480-830-8000 Green Goddess 4139 E Bell Rd Phoenix AZ 85032 602-971-8110 Mesquite Valley Growers 8005 E Speedway Blvd Tucson AZ 85710 520-721-8600 Moon Valley 2653 E McKellips Mesa AZ 85213 480-833-9268   14025 N 7th St Phoenix AZ 85022 602-938-6666   3775 W Chandler Blvd Chandler AZ 85226 480-812-3939   11320 W Indian School Rd Avondale AZ  623-772-8866   18047 N Tatum Blvd Phoenix AZ 85032 480-778-0611 Paradise Nursery 4949 W Peoria Ave Glendale AZ 85302 623-939-1481 Ralphs 7120 N 12th St Phoenix AZ 85020 602-943-6432 San Tan Nursery 2488 S Arizona Ave Chandler AZ 85248 480-899-9321 Shady Way 566 W Superstition Blvd Apache Junction AZ 480-288-9655 Shephard Iris Garden 3342 W Orangewood Ave Phoenix AZ 85051 602-841-1231 Summer Winds 8060 W. Thunderbird Rd Peoria AZ 85381 623-486-2550   6426 W Bell Rd Glendale AZ 85308 623-979-5296   3005 E Bell Rd Phoenix AZ 85032 Open?   1230 W Elliot Rd Tempe AZ 85284 480-413-9282   17826 N Tatum Blvd  Phoenix AZ 85032 602-867-8140   3160 S Country Club Dr Mesa AZ 85210 480-892-1469 Sun City Nusery 9715 W Peoria Ave Peoria AZ 85345 623-933-1592 Sunset Gardens 13614 N 59th Ave Glendale AZ 85304 602-978-1180 Tera's Garden 606 N 4th Ave Phoenix AZ 85003 602-253-4744 The Farm At South Mountain 6106 S 32nd St Phoenix AZ 85040 602-276-6360 Trader Joe's Various locations     Treeland 2900 S Country Club Dr Mesa AZ 85210 480-497-2525 Tropica Mango Nursery 3015 E Baseline Rd Phoenix AZ 85042 602-576-6948 Whitfill Nurseries 824 E Glendale Ave Phoenix AZ 85020 602-944-8479   820 N Cooper Rd Gilbert AZ 85233 480-892-2712 Other Related Businesses       Name Address City/Zip Comments Boyce Thompson Arboretum 37615 US Hwy 60 Superior AZ 85273 Arboretum Desert Botanical Gardens 1201 N Galvin Parkway Phoenix AZ 85008 Arboretum Fry's Marketplace Various Locations   Garden Center (most locations) Home Depot Various Locations   Garden Center  Lowes Various Locations   Garden Center Southwest Gardener 2809 N. 15th Ave Phoenix 85007 Garden accessories, seeds The Farm at South Mountain 6106 S 32nd St Phoenix AZ 85040 Produce,café Target Various Locations   Garden Center Trader Joe's Various locations   Specialty Plants,seasonal WalMart Various Locations   Garden Center