Thanks Al!I thought that hardwood fines were a no-go, but wanted to be sure. I think I might have actually found something that will work. It's called shredded pine mulch and I found it at a locally owned hardware store/garden center. The man even took time to look up the DynaGro Foilage Pro online since he didn't know anything about it! Turns out only one place in Indiana sells it...so I guess I'll be ordering it online...that way I won't have to figure out micro-nutrients, proper ratios, etc! This second picture shows their mini pine bark nuggets. Both samples were set out yesterday, it rained last night and they were overcast then sun today. I was amazed how much more moisture was in the first one, but it wasn't wet. So does that look like the right stuff? Thanks, Suz

If that soil is retaining that much moisture you may need to find out the why and correct that, if possible. Is this simply because of compacted soil and will lots of organic matter actually correect it? Is it due to a high water table and is it seasonal, and does this need major drainage done to correct the problem? Is this bed on the edge of a wetland and therefore is this drainage problem not correctable?

I've been using bags of cypress mulch. It does have a few chunks of bigger stuff in it. My landscaper said that would be fine for my Austin roses. I like the look of it. She also said 6 inches, I mentioned it on another thread, and they assure me 2 or 3 inches is fine. Good because 6 is too expensive for one thing and a lot more work. I can always fill in later when it starts to thin out. Others here recommend pine bark mulch, but I think that is more for acid-loving plants. Our city has a place you can go and buy theirs cheap, but it's way down in an offbeat place, they say it's treated for termites, but I'll stick with the cypress I buy in bags. I might try their compost though since I'm not set up to do it. Be sure to pull the mulch out a couple inches from the stems and check regularly as the wind blows it back.

Some of the typical warnings (founded or otherwise) would be termites (keep mulch a foot or more away from buildings), nitrogen tie-up (not really credible, unless the mulch is in very small pieces), damage from artillery fungus (a problem in some areas, not in others). There have been some lawsuits regarding vehicle damage from artillery fungus spores. This unobtrusive fungus can shoot its sticky spores up to 6 feet. It will NOT be removed from cars, siding, or anything else by any known cleaning agent!!!! I've used hardwood mulch forever, with no problems. It lasts much longer than pinestraw.