On May 15, 12:38 pm, z wrote:
On May 14, 1:42 pm, wrote:

I am living in eastern Ontario area. Is red cedar mulching good for
this area? For backyard mulching, what may be the best, to prevent
pest and other drawbacks?

Even old leaves works OK to stifle weeds. Hundreds of millions of
years of forests can't be wrong.
On the other hand, I got tired of the wood chip mulch getting old and
turning to fertilizer for the weeds every year, so I've just started
up a test bed with a layer of that spunbonded weed barrier cloth from
home depot and that newfangled recycled tire rubber mulch. I'll let
you know how it works out in a couple of years. It's like $12-15 per
cubic foot, so it better last.

I read a paper (found through google) in which the tire mulch was
compared against wood chip mulch, to test whether it heated up enough
so to deter plant growth. They found it was warmer, but did not warm
the soil underneath enough to affect growth. In other words, it passed
the test. Perfect for the goth garden.

The problem with weed barriers is that you have to cut through them
every time you put a new plant in, and I'm seldom decisive enough to
find the perfect spot the first time.

As for cedar mulches, and the OP's question, if anything, red cedar
mulch has the reputation of repelling ants and other pests. It does
break down over time, but if you are looking to add organic matter to
your soil, that's an asset.
Dora