Best Mulch for Vegetable Gardens - And How To Apply It Correctly.

My go-to mulch and some secrets on how I use it to make gardening easier.
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Best Mulch for Vegetable Gardens - And How To Apply It Correctly.
Compost, wood chips, straw or hay?
List of Credits:
Images:
All slides and videos belong to GardenFundamentals.com or are public domain images, except for the following:

[@tegoblue]

Hey! Just found your channel and subscribed after watching the first one. No show biz. Just a stream of facts, delivered in an organized, calming way, with no hot air, a narration dense with useful and enlightening information delivered in a simple, concise, no-nonsense way. He does not waste any of the viewer's time. This is great..

[@stevenk-brooks6852]

Hey, that is what I was going to write! No nonsense, no click-bait, no pumped up hype, just a clear and concise stream of facts, delivered in an organized, calming way. . . Much appreciated!

[@AngelMalakim]

agreed, his calming nature instead of in-your face excitement is just such a nicer way of making youtube vids.

[@stevenk-brooks6852]

Immediately, within 3 seconds I knew that I like this guy. No "Hey, what's up guys!" pumped up hype, no click-bait. Strangely, even videos which are basically solidly-grounded information often start out in that manner, as though the "content providers" feel compelled to sound like a carnival barker. I so much appreciated the straight forward, clear and easily understandable presentation.🙂

[@Nvm-_-Ricky]

Hate the "whats up guys". Most of the youtubers are sheep. I appreciate vloggers like this guy for all the same reasons ❤

[@jerrymeyer565]

My main mulch is leaves,they are free and there is not fear of introducing chemicals into the soil. grass clippings are also great as long as the lawn wasn't sprayed with chemicals.

[@InappropriateShorts]

you never know with grass clippings unless theyre your own

[@dalekennedy8271]

Last fall I moved my straw mulch out of the garden onto the lawn. I then ran over it a couple of times with my push mower. I then put my bagger on the mower and collected the chopped up straw and some grass and put it back in the garden to decompose.

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

Seems like work to me.

[@rickyamsbaugh7397]

Boy you know your stuff Where were you years ago. You really know your FACTS

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

Learning the facts :)

[@dahutful]

I'm a raker-upper...I mulch with an leaves straw grass clippings garden and yard trimmings ... Whatever I can't rake up

[@jillachen7217]

Thank you kind sir! From zone 3a Baudette Minnesota USA ❤

[@MrEddiecu]

I've started using dried grass. Luckily my backyard backs up to a major city street with grass on both sides of the street. So when the city cuts the grass, I wait a few days for the grass to dry. After a few days, I rack it up, filling up 2-3 burlap sacks at a time

[@davidstraker8336]

So much I didn't know! Robert is hugely knowledgeable and very generous in how much he shares with us. I mulch with available material, which for me (on Welsh mountainside) is hay and wood chip. Now I'll be doing it differently using all the great advice here! Thank you, Robert. (excuse me, just going to watch the video again)

[@debbiem2146]

Excellent information! Thank you!

[@karengreene1999]

This is a really helpful video for me!

[@mystic24100]

Just found you station and have listened to a lot of your videos. I have a small hay field so I use hay as mulch. I will try a big part of my garden as “ no till “ this year.

[@GregDunne-zf2ep]

When I move the lawn put the clippings around all my plants works great if you keep it a few itches thick you never get weeds I have done this for over50 years

[@MovingBlanketStudio]

I'm gonna try that pushing of the straw against the peas/beans trick to encourage them to grow up the trellis

[@moonlightzanelengubane713]

Thanks for this info I really appreciate it 🤗

[@Buick59]

excellent information, confirms some things I have thought about and brings new knowledge to the table. Thanks for taking the time to inform.

[@joanies6778]

I'm a big proponent of using straw in the veggie garden. Straw retains moisture, and that's a plus in my dry climate. I use the bark mulch in the pathways over cardboard to suppress weeds everywhere else. Works great! I get the mulch free from our municiple yard.

[@shelbyv2658]

The only channel well documented.

[@toddmain]

Thanks for the practical advice! I don't see goldenrod at my Colorado home, but we have the dreaded bindweed. I do find that a deep mulch suppresses most of it, and what does poke through it easy to pull since the soil is so loose and moist.

[@judymckerrow6720]

Thank you, great information! I prefer straw myself but it can get slippery.🌸💚🙃

[@WhatWeDoChannel]

Food for thought! I must admit I worry about those wretched slugs if I use mulch. My approach is to grow wide rows of vegetables to create their own living mulch.

[@Mopoppy]

Birds love hay/straw. In spring they came stole mine to build nests🙃

[@jody2873]

Very informative! I am only just learrning how to grow certain vegetables and have never mulched before though everyone around my garden plot does and they have a huge crop by the end of summer. This year I'm doing it right! THANKS FOR THE INFO!

[@incanada83]

Thank you for another informative and interesting video. This season is the first time I applied wood chips 2" high over soil in my vegetable raised beds/containers and 4" + , on bare soil gardens. I'll be observing the results throughout this growing season and will remember to move mentioned wood chips at the next planting season. Wood chips were free (Hydro crew was shredding branches and cutting trees) as I do not have access to anything else without great expense.

[@Davidg1t1]

Great video! Thanks Brother

[@dustinhaus1165]

The bale twine its great for holding things together. I use lawn clippings as well, It dumps a ton of nitrogen

[@WilliamDabovich]

As a novice Gardner, I’m always looking for great information to help me be A Better Gardner. I’ll be honest, your videos aren’t the most interesting visually, but your experience and understanding for the facts and the science exponentially more valuable than the special effects and video tricks etc. Your videos are PRECISELY what I’m looking for, excellent helpful information with an explanation of WHY things happen the way they do. Knowing facts is only half the battle IMO, knowing WHY the facts are the way they are, is the another major component, so I really appreciate that aspect of your videos!!

[@danred806]

I've been using straw as well around my tomatoes. It helps control the blight. Problem I have is usually our straw is oat, wheat or rye and our combines we use to harvest small grains here in Iowa are mostly set up for corn and beans. So we get some grain left in the straw. Been thinking about leaving some straw bales out in the weather before I scatter them so that the rain will sprout the seeds in the bales before I put them down around the plants.

[@Not_So_Weird_in_Austin]

The issue straw and wheat can have can be persistent herbicide used on the plant while growing before harvest.

[@loribethartist6353]

My garden was poisoned by horse manure because they ate sprayed hay… it lasts all the way through their digestion 😢

[@zaxxon4]

It's a pretty new issue, so he might not have run into it yet. I'd advise everyone to have a test plant. One tomato plant off by itself or in a pot, and if it dies you know not to use the mulch compost or manure on the rest. If it can't kill a tomato plant, it's probably safe for everything else.

[@shortari5543]

We dry out grass clippings for a few weeks and then spread them 2 inches deep on pathways and around veggie plants.

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

I leave those on the lawn to feed the grass.

[@schefiban]

My compliments on your well researched and informative videos! I agree hay/straw is the superior mulch, but I often use what is available for free. Shredded leaves in the fall work great for overwintering. I tried pine straw mulch last season but was not impressed with the results. I also tried hay bale gardening which was an interesting experience and I achieved good results. The drawbacks were that I used much more water to keep the bales hydrated and towards the end of the season the bales decomposed to the point that they needed structural support.

[@deanstearns6304]

Thank you!❤

[@mfmilnefamily4068]

Id love to have a guy like you arround, I have been lucky with cucumber and tomatoes but it seems every thing else is a learning factor..

[@charlesrichardjr8662]

Learning more regarding controlling weeds and keeping the soil moist, what’s your thoughts regarding using pine needles?

[@charliezicolillo]

Hi Robert great video.I make my own leaf mulch.How come you did not talk about leaf mulch.I put 5 inches in each bed for garlic.After harvesting the garlic I add about 3 to 4 inches more for tomato plants.I do it for all my vegetable plants.

[@robinboard9311]

I also use leaves that I’ve chopped up w/ the mower and then put in a hardware cloth bin. Sine Robert didn’t respond to you I’m going to try again.

[@mavisdavisify]

I mulch with leaves grown at my home. I don’t use any chemicals so I know there’s no poisons being deposited on my garden. I grind the leaves up after they’ve been out in the weather all winter. They work very well.

[@davidspahr4020]

If you use mulch hay that may be partially spoiled or old that will help minimize the weed problem and definitely save money. Here in Maine, straw is quite a bit more expensive.

[@nataliemills6644]

I love using straw. Even better, I put down straw all winter in the outdoor chicken area, which can get muddy. Then I move the chickens and rake it up to use elsewhere or plant right into it. No weeds because the chickens spend all day sifting through the straw, looking for seeds.

[@648Roland]

I've taken to using sugar-cane mulch of late which seems to do the job plus no weeds and only slowly breaks down. Pea-straw worked but for all the pea seedlings that needed to be raked over. My garden is located in Central Victoria, Australia.

[@deseed]

thank you for your time and great tutorial. do you have experience with using saw dust as mulch? is it good for the purpose?

[@Hutzjohn]

I like to use grass clippings they work just fine as a mulch BUT during the year they break down and add much to the soil --- it's a lot of walking behind a mower to bag that much clippings but worth it IMO.

[@priayief]

Many years ago I learned the lesson about removing mulch in the spring to heat up the soil. In the fall, I covered my strawberries that I was growing in a raised bed. In June I hadn't noticed any growth so I decided to see what was under the mulch. To my surprise, the soil was still frozen, despite several weeks of warm to hot temperatures. On another topic, I'm curious as to why you didn't consider mulching with leaves? I'm guessing it's because many people do not have access to a large number of leaves.

[@jeffberwick]

What do you do about Grazon in the straw or hay?

[@schefiban]

I’m always concerned about Graz on in the hay and manures I get as well. I’m fortunate to know a few farmers that I trust not to use it.

[@loribethartist6353]

It ruined my garden last year- we got horse manure from horses that ate sprayed hay 😢

[@theresacoleman9673]

Hello Robert, thank you for your great videos and sharing your knowledge. I live in central Mississippi and have two questions. The first is regarding using pine branches to throw in the bottom of raised beds to prepare for next spring’s plantings. The second is using pine straw as mulch in the raised vegetable gardens. Next month in August I’m about to get about thirty pine trees cut down and the stumps ground. Then, I am building raised vegetable beds. I will have lots of small branches and pine cones to throw into the bottom of the raised beds. Will the pine branches be too acidic to use? I will also be adding grass clippings and small dead branches from my ligustrums that almost died from two rare winter freezes. I watched your video regarding using hay vs straw as mulch in vegetable beds. I have an abundance of pine straw. Is it okay to use on vegetables or is it too acidic? I use pine straw in my ornamental beds and it works great. Thanks for in advance for your reply- Theresa

[@feliciabrasuell1997]

I just found your channel and love it. I am new to this. QUESTION?? You mentioned Straw. Do you mind telling me what kind?? I have no clue....... THANKS

[@annalynn9325]

I love mulching with straw. Problem is, it’s not very available in my area. Plus there’s the concern about Grazon/persistent herbicides. I also like mulching with grass clippings but my grass is full of weeds and I don’t want to put weed seeds on my growing beds. Right now I’m using either oak leaves, or cardboard beneath some horse manure I bought that I really hope does not have Grazon in it

[@racebiketuner]

Hi Robert. Are you concerned about persistent herbicides on straw and hay? If so, how do you dodge that bullet?

[@17penobscot]

Ruined my garden, still seeing effects going on 3 yrs

[@andredumas9547]

Woven plastic weed barrier with wood chips on top can make a good pathway over clay soil. The weed barrier will prevent the clay from muddying the pathway and will let the rain water through it, the wood chips will provide a clean surface to walk on.

[@robinboard9311]

Have been watching ‘Joe Gardener’ and learned about you through his videos. I am now torn between using leaf mold vs. straw. Of course the leaves are free and I chop them up and store them in a bin I made out of hardware cloth. I use them in my vegetable and flower beds. Is this okay? I need either your blessings or your correction. 😊

[@17penobscot]

Used to use wheat straw for mulch for years, about 3 years ago strayed the garden and it killed almost everything. Most farmers are using Grazon herbicide on the wheat and in their pasture. It is a persistent, meaning it carries over year after year. If it’s used on pasture it will carry over in horse or cow manure. I’m still seeing the effects years later.

[@pearlruth]

Thank you for great help in the garden. I don't use wood chip mulch because it shoots out "black spot mold" on house siding; and in a heavy rain, the wood mulch floats away. I have used straw, but with my "kitchen garden" I started using a multi-purpose, bagged product created in Cleveland, OH called "Sweat Peat". It is a friable mixture of manure and moss, it can be used as a seed starter, and the rain doesn't splash it onto the plants. It looks pretty in a smaller flower or vegetable bed. Rumor is that the manure comes from elephants at the Cleveland Zoo.

[@sunnybizz4857]

what area are you in that wood chip mold is so prolific?

[@pearlruth]

@@sunnybizz4857 In winter we are in the snow belt with fronts off Lake Erie. In summer, we are in a rain belt, plus with woods shadowing some gardens, stays wet.

[@robertpaulis439]

I mulched an old currant Bush that was slowly dying and a year later I have a whole new bush sprouting up.

[@chrisschultz1580]

I think I will try alfalfa hay this season. I've read that it is mowed before it seeds, provides nitrogen when it decomposes, and contains a growth hormone. Any thoughts?

[@happytomeetyou.3027]

I like your videos, very matter-of-fact. I would caution anyone using hay due to the almost ubiquitous use of persistent herbicides that affect broadleaf plants, especially nightshades at levels so low tests cannot detect. As well, the herbicides stay around for years in some cases. As a reasonable person, I am sure you would want your viewers to have the facts.

[@anthonycreations]

How about leaves for mulch? I mow the leaves into a fine mulch then apply to my vegetable garden. I also lasagna layer them with green from the garden in the fall in a pile about 4’x4’x4’ and by spring I have compost

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

fall leaves are great, especially once they are shredded. Problem is that they are difficult to get except in fall.

[@racebiketuner]

@@Gardenfundamentals1 I typically collect 16-25 yards every November. What I can't shred immediately gets stored in 45 gallon grow bags. When the winter rain starts (I'm in Zone 9B), I put the grow bags into Husky 3 mil contractor bags to keep them dry. Else they turn into a stinky wet mess that's impossible to work with. I need 10 yards per year minimum, so I have plenty of reserve to trade with other mini farmers or compost at the end of the season.

[@MyFocusVaries]

Now to try to source some hay or straw.... I just found an ad with a minimum buy of 35 bales. Maybe a bulk buy with my garden club.

[@maozedung7270]

The best mulch have is pond weed from a lake nearby. It has no weed seeds that could grow.

[@user-nd4mi8dk5z]

Do you water over the straw if you don’t have a drip system?

[@meetasingh2612]

What is the benefit of a maize corn silage for animal feed as mulch

[@Steve197201]

What about mulching with dried leaves? I've got plenty of those, and they keep coming back every fall.

[@lehringer4884]

Grass clippings is the best.just a fact!

[@alanlvr36]

Typically hay is actually grass left to grow nice and tall. The problem with using hay is all the seeds still in it. Grass 'heads out' a lot of the time prior to harvestimg so I suggest straw if you are deciding between the 2. 😉

[@westernartifact4163]

I thought the same, and a few weeks in, I've come to find straw while superior with drainage, is not that great at weed control. It doesn't "blanket" as well as grass clippings which have done a superb job at snuffing out almost everything. My straw has too many holes where weeds are poking their slithering heads through. The downside of hay is really that it's a sponge for moisture at when in contact with the plant and aside from preventing drainage can lead to mold. That's why blanketing with hay and mulching the immediate few inch circumference around your veggies with small circles of woodchips or straw is a great compromise.

[@graceh1864]

Thank you for your advice. May I use tree leaves I collected from last fall as mulch instead?

[@bobbysmac1009]

That is what I use as that is what is most plentiful.

[@hughewilkinson3643]

I use leaves successfully. I collect them in the fall into a bin and break them up with a weed line trimmer. In the spring /summer I mulch. And I leave the leaf multch on the garden over the winter. In the spring I mix what is left into the top layer of soil.

[@graceh1864]

Thanks for all the replies. Will do the same!

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

Sure.

[@graceh1864]

@@Gardenfundamentals1 Thank you for you reply.

[@debbieblakley9761]

I liked your video a lot...however, you didn't talk about herbicides and pesticides that might already be in the straw and hay from where you buy your product. And how that might affect your garden and garden plants! That's a very beneficial subject.... Thanks!

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

www.gardenmyths.com/herbicide-contaminated-compost/

[@janicejurgensen2122]

Once again, straw is what I use too. I also bought a lot to age it. Is that helpful? Never had straw grow anything.

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

There is no real value in aging it. It just decomposes faster once you start using it.

[@monicac5348]

Straw makes a lot of sense for mulch. But how does one make sure the straw is grazon free?

[@joycreated]

I'm having a really difficult time finding organic straw! When I do find it it's a really small bundle and very very expensive....🤷

[@janicejurgensen2122]

What do u think about used hay frim chickens and rabbits the following year?

[@janicejurgensen2122]

I meant I use straw! Thank you for showing the loose method!

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

Material from rabbits can be used right away. Material from chickens can be a bit hot ie too much nitrogen, but if left for a while it is also great.

[@sheevmuhqueen726]

With respect to pushing the mulch right up to the plant, I have had problems with damping off that doesn't seem to occur when I ring the mulch away from the stem. I am in a humid subtropical climate. Has anyone else had this problem?

[@visnuexe]

How's your water drainage on those affected plants? I had that problem toward the end of summer when we were getting up to 10 inches of rain a week, sometimes in a downpour. I have cleared my mulch away then to speed drying out the vase of the plant.

[@sheevmuhqueen726]

@@visnuexe I don't think it was a drainage issue, as I am careful with watering, but I can't rule it out. I did conduct an experiment since writing the above - I direct sowed several varieties of greens into containers and mulched them. 4 weeks later, seedlings going strong - no problems whatsoever in the middle of Winter. I will attempt to replicate as the temps and humidity climb back up.

[@kirkwilson10]

I dont trust any hay or straw any more. Ive gone to leaf mulch solely unless it's my own grass clippings.

[@PatC.]

What kind of bushes are mentioned near the end? Ker bushes?

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

Currents.

[@PatC.]

@@Gardenfundamentals1 Thanks

[@fibber2u]

I understand the issue with mulch, as it interfaces with soil it breaks down and depletes nutrients. It is not really an issue if you just add the mulch each year. The mulch feeds back the soil as the decomposition is complete over time. I don't see how you are losing anything as it is an ongoing cycle. My fruit and vegetable garden is on a series of 5 year cycles. I mulch my strawberries with straw every year, quiet simply I just let the grain that sprouts (it always does) get to a handy height and pull them out. It's easier than trying to extract them when they are small. To bury the strawberries so deep that the grain could not grow would smother the strawberries. I have no issues with other weeds. On the subject of weeds I offer this mathematical equation: W=E2 x T. That is: work equals the effort double multiplied by the time elapsed since you should have done the flipping job in the first place.😉😉

[@rickyamsbaugh7397]

Can you fertillze on top of mulch

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

That is what I do.

[@rickyamsbaugh7397]

Can you use fine saw dust

[@visnuexe]

I did that since i found a free source. It's best if it's allowed to compost first since the tannins in the wood can lower the PH. I would place the sawdust in the pathways to compost for about a month or so (I'm in the subtropics so stuff decomposes fast) and then I put it on my veggies, either as an additive to their current mulch or to start with new transplants. Decomposing sawdust gets really hot when it breaks down, so keep an eye on it that it doesn't spontaneously combust!

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

The problem with saw dust is that you have to make sure it does not get buried, or it robs soil of nitrogen. It is worse than wood chips.

[@paullemay3218]

What about leaves as a mulch. Basically free. ❤️🇨🇦

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

They are good too.

[@racebiketuner]

I use them a lot. They stay in place a lot better if you shred them. I prefer oak, gum and sycamore because they decompose more slowly.

[@tonyedward6909]

Very few wood chips in soil will not hurt your vegetables.

[@brenmichael1806]

Hi Brenda from Mich 6b. I recently purchased some Ez straw from Ace Hardware, but the problem that I'm finding out is a lot of gardeners also purchase this product but they said it killed their vegetables. Have you use this before?

[@greatnorthwoodsgirl3274]

They probably use straw/hay that has been treated with Grazon herbicide. You need to be careful not to use hay or stray treated with it. It will kill your soil for years. They have alfalfa hay/straw that has been heat treated to remove seeds. No herbicides used.

[@ohsillyme398]

Had this happen last yr and lost my 40 plants tomato bed. Residual herbicides are the problem. They should warn against using in veg gardens

[@greggy553]

I use spoiled hay, its cheap and it breaks down quicker than straw.

[@thepangwin902]

Wood mulch does not take Nitrogen out of the soil. It is a myth that unfortunately so many people believe. A ton of woodchips might lock up some N but bark mulch never will. I like a mixter of straw and wood mulch with peat moss. Give the soil structure.

[@francismeowgannou5322]

You ever have problems with slugs that seem to love living in the mulch?

[@08qbert]

Last year,my straw mulch brought an army of slugs. I couldn’t find Cory’s slug bait so my veggies suffered. Buy Cory’s brand, it works.

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

Not really. Today I was out watering and I noticed a lot of crickets - maybe they eat slugs?

[@rockingroli2057]

Also cats don't like straw

[@user-yp1bu8jm7n]

Not true, I have a few cats at my house and they love to poop in the straw/garden

[@robbomber984]

What about graize on some farmers use the pesticide which could transfer to your soil causing you to kill your soil so ask before you buy same with using manure from animals that eat that feed. Peace

[@FirstLast-numba1]

i just use leaves.

[@TheLarry54]

I must disagree with using hay as mulch because if the hay (from grass or alfalfa) has not been cut before it makes seed, those seeds put in your garden WILL grow and grass hay is not like lawn grass- these crops get 4 to 6 feet tall- and are perenial - not something you want in your garden

[@susanvaniderstine9080]

Straw = slugs.

[@tomlamey7823]

They are making those large hay bales illegal....cows can’t get a square meal. 🤪

[@OldTimerGarden]

Bad advice

[@deseed]

thank you for your time and great tutorial. do you have experience with using saw dust as mulch? is it good for the purpose?