Read about the pros and cons of using wood chips, pine needles, straw, and hay at
A trick the club has used at the library pollinator garden and one that I have used in my personal garden is layers of cardboard or newspaper placed beneath the mulch to curb weed growth. I do a lot of online shopping, so I always have a good stash of cardboard boxes. I find the cardboard works better for areas with stubborn weeds or plants that have naturalized, such as mint or horsetail reed. If you are trying to avoid harmful chemicals, this method works well.
Another benefit of using newspaper to mulch is that it provides extra moisture retention, especially in vegetable beds. Take it a step further and use shredded newspaper as a thick layer of mulch or spread to 1" and place regular mulch on top to cut down on the amount of more expensive mulch being used. Paper shredders used for documents work beautifully for this task.
Remember to wet the newspaper or cardboard after you have placed it in the garden BEFORE you apply traditional mulch.
Happy mulching!
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