"General Schvantzkoph" wrote in message
news
I've just put in a big garden, 60'x14', with tomatoes, peppers, herbs,
musk melons, peas, cucumbers, and strawberries. It's weed free at the
moment but that can't last. Any suggestions mulch? I'm thinking straw or
peat moss. I'm told that bark mulch is a bad idea.

Straw is full of seeds and could cost more than you might like to spend to
get good coverage.

Peat moss blows away easily.

Getting all those bales of straw or peat to your location may be a problem
unless you have access to a truck or pay for delivery.

Leaf mold is good mulching material and it/s often free for the hauling, but
you still need a truck.

Grass clippings are free and conveniently located near your garden.

My garden is a bit smaller than yours (40' x 16'). I plant in 4' wide beds
with ~2' wide strips of grass in between the beds. It/s easy to maintain
and highly productive. Once the plants begin to mature, they produce their
own 'weed controling, moisture conserving mulch' as the foliage from the
high-density planting shades the ground. Weeds between the beds are
controlled with the lawn mower.