Not All Mulch Is The Same

Not all mulch is the same or as good for the soil. I found this out this summer at Mezzacello with my burlap mulch experiment. I’ve written about using burlap as mulch before and I still swear by it. But what I have learned this summer to make sure you buy tight knit burlap. Rough weave burlap (like what potatoes come in) do hold in moisture but the let in too much light and allow weeds to proliferate.see the samples below:[media-credit id=3 align="alignnone" width="225"][media-credit id=3 align="alignnone" width="225"]The bottom image is fabric grade burlap. I should remind you I installed this burlap from JoAnn’s Fabric in February and I am into my second planting with it. It holds up beautifully and really blocks weeds. I swear I spent less than 15 minutes every two weeks weeding with this system. I strongly encourage you to try it. Look for 50-60% Off coupons for JoAnn’s Fabrics and then buy the whole bolt of fabric. Be creative. Choose wild color combinations! It’s going to end up brown through oxidation anyways.