Xref: 127.0.0.1 aus.gardens:24020

Hi,

There are different types of Mulch you can get; Pea straw, Peat Mulch (and
feed), Cottage Mulch, Red Wood Mulch, Pine Bark Mulch, Opti Mulch, Garden
Mulch - just to list those available from Yarra Valley Water and a couple of
others I saw at Bunnings on the weekend.

This amount of choice indicates that they do different things, or are of
different value, so how do you choose which type of mulch to buy?

Pixo

g'day pixo,

a lot depends on what you want to achieve and what type of garden it
is ie.,. vegetable or shrubs and palms sort of thing.

first up for me i don't go for the use of peat moss/mulch this is a
non-renewable resource the mining of which degrades wetland habitats.

when i had a tree type garden eg.,. palms natives understory of ferns
etc.,. my favourite mulch was chipped tree from tree loppers,
decomposes into a nice dark coloured humus as it breaks down keep
adding i layed it around 6" deep.

the straw and hay type mulches can also be used in these situations,
they tend to be used mostly in vegetable gardens, the straw types take
longer to break down as against the hay mulches like pasture grass or
lucerne hay.

i've never been much on pine bark, it is at best only window dressing
and can in fact make the soil acid if and when it rots down. have
never come across red wood mulch or cottage mulch. there is also
something called river mulch and that is stones from creek/river beds
definately only window dressing and another where habitat is being
disturbed on a permanent basis.

they all have abilities to hold moisture in but i always reckon might
as well get some other benefits so i use the green hay mulches they
break down continually and add to the soil structure.

hope this explains some well from how i see it least wise.

len

snipped
--
happy gardening
'it works for me it could work for you,'

"in the end ya' gotta do what ya' gotta do" but consider others and the environment
http://members.optusnet.com.au/~gardenlen1/

"pixo" wrote in message
...
Hi,

There are different types of Mulch you can get; Pea straw, Peat Mulch (and
feed), Cottage Mulch, Red Wood Mulch, Pine Bark Mulch, Opti Mulch, Garden
Mulch - just to list those available from Yarra Valley Water and a couple
of
others I saw at Bunnings on the weekend.

I would stay clear of pine bark mulch, whether it be the large chunky stuff,
or woohchip (typically used by councils, woodchip.
On cos it does take a long time to break down, can leech tanins(sp?) onto
concrete, staining it, and can get spread into grass if a dog or child gets
into it, and it's not that easily picked up.
Although it may not look the most attractive, it seems Lucerne hay is the
best for soil. We have swapped over to it and it does seem to have made the
plants take off at work.
We have used mulch that came from mulched trees around work, and it also did
wonders for the clay soil, but did take longer.
Other than that, coloured mulch you pay a lot more for, pebbles can look
good in the right situation but do nothing for the soil, and if you decide
to re-plant in a pebble mulched garden it can become a headache.

This amount of choice indicates that they do different things, or are of
different value, so how do you choose which type of mulch to buy?

Most would keep the soil moist, and soil temp more stable, and provide less
weeds. Mulch from a local tree lopper is probably the most cheapest, and
best for soil, but make sure it is a few months old, not fresh, as it will
rob the soil of nitrogen. And ask them if there is any tallowood in it. If
there is, forget it.

Pixo

I've been using the mulch from our local tip. Our council shreds all the
green waste, piles it up, turns it, ages it, and sells it back as mulch. I
think it's fine and it's cheap. It costs $9.90 a box trailer load (or small
ute). I've been using it for three years now and no problems. It has done
wonders for our claggy soil....

Norm


"pixo" wrote in message
...
Hi,

There are different types of Mulch you can get; Pea straw, Peat Mulch (and
feed), Cottage Mulch, Red Wood Mulch, Pine Bark Mulch, Opti Mulch, Garden
Mulch - just to list those available from Yarra Valley Water and a couple
of
others I saw at Bunnings on the weekend.

This amount of choice indicates that they do different things, or are of
different value, so how do you choose which type of mulch to buy?

Pixo

Norm
Where do you live? I have been looking for a similar type of service in
my area (NW Sydney), without much luck. I would love to find somewhere
that does this.
Cheers
Alec

Aus News wrote:

I've been using the mulch from our local tip. Our council shreds all the
green waste, piles it up, turns it, ages it, and sells it back as mulch. I
think it's fine and it's cheap. It costs $9.90 a box trailer load (or small
ute). I've been using it for three years now and no problems. It has done
wonders for our claggy soil....

Norm


"pixo" wrote in message
...

Hi,

There are different types of Mulch you can get; Pea straw, Peat Mulch (and
feed), Cottage Mulch, Red Wood Mulch, Pine Bark Mulch, Opti Mulch, Garden
Mulch - just to list those available from Yarra Valley Water and a couple

of

others I saw at Bunnings on the weekend.

This amount of choice indicates that they do different things, or are of
different value, so how do you choose which type of mulch to buy?

Pixo

g'day alec,

i hope norm may come back with more in depth info' but even here in
brisbane all the major refuse sites do this mulching and if they don't
i'm sure a call to your local alderman or government memeber will put
you right to the source.

len

snipped
--
happy gardening
'it works for me it could work for you,'

"in the end ya' gotta do what ya' gotta do" but consider others and the environment
http://members.optusnet.com.au/~gardenlen1/

Hi Alec;
I live up in FNQ - Mareeba to be exact. It's a small country town about
50km inland from Cairns. I sure can't help you out much as far as what they
do in Sydney. One assumes that if a small country town is composting its
green waste then the whole world must be doing it. Sorry!

There is a machine that visits the local tips every few months and
shreds the green waste. It's Huge! Like about two semi-trailers long! It
SCREAMS when it's chewing its way through branches, limbs, and even tree
trunks.A couple of front end loaders feed the machine. They pick up
bucket-fulls of green waste (any organic matter) and dumps it into a hopper.
Out the other end of this shredder comes piles of shredded green waste.

Our council piles this green waste into heaps. Mixes it and turns it
until it starts to look like compost. It gets pretty hot! They have even had
it catch on fire a few times, so it can smell somewhat like wood smoke
sometimes. Normally, it smells like soil, flavoured with tip essence. Any
smell disappears within a few days.

Our local chicken farm dumps all their floor scrapings (shit, broken
eggs, litter, and spilled feed) at the tip. Our council starts a few piles
of these scrapings and the composted mulch. After a few months of cooking
and turning, we have "Dynamic Lifter" but does it stink. It takes a few
weeks before that settles down. It is a bit "HOT" for plants but when used
as a side dressing or dug in and left to "Cool off", it makes wonderful
fertiliser.

If your local council is not doing that for you, PITY, they should be...

Norm

"Alec McQueen" wrote in message
...
Norm
Where do you live? I have been looking for a similar type of service in
my area (NW Sydney), without much luck. I would love to find somewhere
that does this.
Cheers
Alec

Aus News wrote:

I've been using the mulch from our local tip. Our council shreds all
the
green waste, piles it up, turns it, ages it, and sells it back as mulch.
I
think it's fine and it's cheap. It costs $9.90 a box trailer load (or
small
ute). I've been using it for three years now and no problems. It has
done
wonders for our claggy soil....

Norm


"pixo" wrote in message
...

Hi,

There are different types of Mulch you can get; Pea straw, Peat Mulch
(and
feed), Cottage Mulch, Red Wood Mulch, Pine Bark Mulch, Opti Mulch,
Garden
Mulch - just to list those available from Yarra Valley Water and a
couple

of

others I saw at Bunnings on the weekend.

This amount of choice indicates that they do different things, or are of
different value, so how do you choose which type of mulch to buy?

Pixo

"Aus News" None wrote in message ...
I've been using the mulch from our local tip. Our council shreds all
the
green waste, piles it up, turns it, ages it, and sells it back as mulch. I
think it's fine and it's cheap. It costs $9.90 a box trailer load (or
small
ute). I've been using it for three years now and no problems. It has done
wonders for our claggy soil....

Norm


Cost!!?!! Doesn't your council give out free passes for dumping rubbish
and collecting mulch?

I get about 4 free tokens per year.

Raelene
xxx

dunno a few years ago when i checked with the north brisbane refuse
site you had to pay for the stuff and they had to deliver it at
something like $20 per cubic meter, free dump pass or not, seemed like
hiway robbery to me as i could get otehr materila cheaper and easier.

len

snipped
--
happy gardening
'it works for me it could work for you,'

"in the end ya' gotta do what ya' gotta do" but consider others and the environment
http://members.optusnet.com.au/~gardenlen1/

Hi Pixo,

I live in Canberra and use mulch when I can.

My only caveat is that when the fires went thru here last year, many places
were lost cos the embers lit up the mulch, esp the pine stuff.

Paul



"pixo" wrote in message
...
Hi,

There are different types of Mulch you can get; Pea straw, Peat Mulch (and
feed), Cottage Mulch, Red Wood Mulch, Pine Bark Mulch, Opti Mulch, Garden
Mulch - just to list those available from Yarra Valley Water and a couple
of
others I saw at Bunnings on the weekend.

This amount of choice indicates that they do different things, or are of
different value, so how do you choose which type of mulch to buy?

Pixo

Len
I will give it a try. Don't hold out much hope. This is Sydney. :-)
Alec

len gardener wrote:
g'day alec,

i hope norm may come back with more in depth info' but even here in
brisbane all the major refuse sites do this mulching and if they don't
i'm sure a call to your local alderman or government memeber will put
you right to the source.

len

snipped

In article , Alec McQueen
wrote:

I will give it a try. Don't hold out much hope. This is Sydney. :-)

You'd be surprised. My local Council (or at least the gardening guy) is happy
to dump a truckload of freshly chipped prunings on my driveway for free (of
course, it only comes in one size -- a truckload!). Saves them taking it back
to the depot and disposing of it. A few years ago Parramatta Council was
offering trailer loads of its mulch mountain for a donation to the SES. Ask
the Council receptionist about your chances.

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"Life is like a cigarette -- smoke it to the butt." -- Harvie Krumpet