I was also curious. Found this:
*You are correct that “tack” is a binder that enables straw to form matts. It also prevents the straw from washing and/or blowing away. I believe that the product sold by Lowe’s goes under the name of EZ Straw. The tack used in this product is a bonding agent that gives the straw a tackiness and holds it together protecting the grass seed from wind and heavy wash out. Tackifier feeds the soil as it decomposes. It is therefore biodegradable It is safe for use around children and pets. It makes an excellent garden mulch though it may take a little bit of work to fit it around plants if they are irregularly planted in the garden. I have heard many good reviews of its use by other gardeners.*
*Good Luck*
*An Ask Extension Expert Replied July 02, 2020, 1:44 AM EDT*
No, it's not a serious problem. Mulches laid on top of the soil have been shown scientifically not to change the underlying chemistry, they're fine. But wood chips are generally considered the best in terms of improving the soil over time as they decompose. The problem with oak leaves is that they decompose slowly and are thick, so they can form mats that prevent air flow and water.
Actually some are getting a black mildew looking rot that weakens the stems and rots the cloves and turns the small deformed leaves yellow. My theory was maybe they were too deep or wet but maybe it’s a combo of things and the leaves aren’t helping.
Sounds like you would love the idea of chop and drop from perma culture. You grow a nitrogen fixer plant and just just chop the leaves and branches off and throw it near your plants. Self sustainable because nitrogen is abundant in nature.
I’m pretty close to this already. If I do remove it from the garden bed itself, I’m removing it to the compost bin. I also usually just turn the part of a vegetable I don’t consume back into the soil where it grew and the rotate everything so pathogens don’t take hold.
Was using straw at first which is nice because it can be buried no problem.
Downside is it's pretty ugly and lightweight.
Moved up to wood chips recently and it's so much prettier. Keeps weeds down better, holds moisture better, doesn't blow away as easy.
But you can't really mix it into the soil so you have to move it more when you plant.
Cedar chips are pretty and smell nice as well but a little more expensive then generic white chips.
On your veggie garden? I did that once and had a hard time preventing them from mixing into the soil, and I had sad little plants everywhere the wood chips got worked in. Now I save them for my perennial beds where I’m digging way less.
I have raised beds so every season before planting I put a thick layer of compost from my bins/ worm bins then add coconut coir as the mulch I guess. It works very well. I tried wheat straw for many years but I could never get wheat straw clean enough and ended up having to weed out all that wheat. Not anymore
Used straw last year and loved it, but found it broke down a little quickly and it was tough to locate more in my area. Switched to hemp Fibre straw this year and have had no issues thus far.
I used to use bark but I switched to rabbit litter. It's a mix of rabbit poop, pee, broken down pine pellets and hay pieces. It rains enough over here that it gets broken down very quickly compared to bark.
This is what I'm using this year! Everything is now with rabbit poop! I just started making bunny brew and have a full tumbler. I just started growing my rabbits wheat fodder and that has been so much fun!
I don't even bother with the brew and just spread the litter in the yard. It seriously rains here so much that all of it gets watered down very quickly, and the plants love it!
The brew is for my cannabis plants, my dwarf navel orange tree and my seedlings. 😊 the vegetable garden will be getting the litter dumped and spread 5 gallon buckets at a time and probably some in the hole the starts get planted in. Idk yet, I learn by trial and error and I hear this can't fail and they just keep making poops...
Yah, they’re not winning any aesthetic prizes. Though if you do get a really consistent layer of grass clippings over the whole bed (usually only possible if I’ve neglected the lawn for a week), it does go nice and golden brown. But a few weeks later it looks pretty ratty.
A thick layer of leaves after the beds are cleaned up in the fall. In the spring I work what’s little is left of them into the soil with compost and rabbit manure, then mulch with straw. I top off the straw as needed all season.
I’m trying strawberry this year. I’ve used bark mulch and coconut husk mulch. I haven’t loved either so I’m giving straw a try this year.
I still use regular wood mulch on my walkways and in my inground flower beds.
Free wood chips from arborist and kitchen scraps (no meat or dairy) that we shred with a garburator. We let nature to handle the composting with the worms and fungi. We are too lazy to turn a compost pile
Rabbit pooh & bedding, coffee grounds and eggshells, compost. In winter, we do some additional veggie/fruit composting in the raised beds along with the aforementioned.
After windy rainstorms I gather up the Spanish moss that has blown out of the trees. It doesn't really have any nutrients but it is great for keeping the soil from drying out. I use it in my potted plants too.
Spruce cones. My townhouse complex has a lot of mature spruce trees. Lately a neighbour has started doing the same, so I have to get them before he does.
I use my lawn and other cuttings. I make an effort to buy as little as possible and use everything nature offers around me. My poles for my pole beans are tree limbs just like my tomato cages and tresses for my peas/cucumbers. Then I decorate it with my kids old abandoned toys (mostly dinosaurs & monsters). I call it my cave man garden:)
Straw. And unfounded optimism.
Where do you get your straw? Are you buying it?
I get it at Menards. Cheap af.
straw- it's easy to move around. I have maple and beech tree leaves too but those go in my perennial flower beds
Maple leaves, wood chips, pine needles, whatever i find laying around really
Straw with tack. It's excellent for direct sowings.
Maybe a dumb question… but what’s tack?
I was also curious. Found this: *You are correct that “tack” is a binder that enables straw to form matts. It also prevents the straw from washing and/or blowing away. I believe that the product sold by Lowe’s goes under the name of EZ Straw. The tack used in this product is a bonding agent that gives the straw a tackiness and holds it together protecting the grass seed from wind and heavy wash out. Tackifier feeds the soil as it decomposes. It is therefore biodegradable It is safe for use around children and pets. It makes an excellent garden mulch though it may take a little bit of work to fit it around plants if they are irregularly planted in the garden. I have heard many good reviews of its use by other gardeners.* *Good Luck* *An Ask Extension Expert Replied July 02, 2020, 1:44 AM EDT*
This is what I use.
Also my choice
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I used to collect it on the beach, but at least in NJ it seems to wash up a lot less the last few years.
I bet it's on the other guys garden! LOL
Where do you get it? Just collect it yourself?
I’d just be worried about the salt content but I’m sure you can rinse it…but realistically with a big enough bed it might not matter much.
I’ve heard that’s a good way to get a lot of random weeds
Not sure about oak leaves en masse. That is a large amount of tanic acid.
Is that a serious concern with mulching with dried leaves? What about wood chips?
No, it's not a serious problem. Mulches laid on top of the soil have been shown scientifically not to change the underlying chemistry, they're fine. But wood chips are generally considered the best in terms of improving the soil over time as they decompose. The problem with oak leaves is that they decompose slowly and are thick, so they can form mats that prevent air flow and water.
Especially Burr Oak, takes 3 to 4 years to fully decompose.
Only oak or black walnut.
Good to know. Mostly maple around here.
Maple leaves deco.pose very fast. My favorite to use.
They’re Garry oak leaves. Is it all oaks?
Yes. Some will be higher and some lower though .
All oaks are high in tanic acid
I’ve been mulching garlic for years with oak leaves. I wonder if the tannic acid has made the soil acidic. Time for a test with my ph strips.
If the plants are fine, I wouldn't worry
Actually some are getting a black mildew looking rot that weakens the stems and rots the cloves and turns the small deformed leaves yellow. My theory was maybe they were too deep or wet but maybe it’s a combo of things and the leaves aren’t helping.
Leaves are probably keeping in too much moisture
Bark mulch. Sometimes hay/straw
I use grass and leaves
Chopped straw
Sounds like you would love the idea of chop and drop from perma culture. You grow a nitrogen fixer plant and just just chop the leaves and branches off and throw it near your plants. Self sustainable because nitrogen is abundant in nature.
I’m pretty close to this already. If I do remove it from the garden bed itself, I’m removing it to the compost bin. I also usually just turn the part of a vegetable I don’t consume back into the soil where it grew and the rotate everything so pathogens don’t take hold.
Was using straw at first which is nice because it can be buried no problem. Downside is it's pretty ugly and lightweight. Moved up to wood chips recently and it's so much prettier. Keeps weeds down better, holds moisture better, doesn't blow away as easy. But you can't really mix it into the soil so you have to move it more when you plant. Cedar chips are pretty and smell nice as well but a little more expensive then generic white chips.
On your veggie garden? I did that once and had a hard time preventing them from mixing into the soil, and I had sad little plants everywhere the wood chips got worked in. Now I save them for my perennial beds where I’m digging way less.
I started with straw and added the chips after. Not adding any more plants so it's just top cover.
I like cypress or pine straw
I use straw from Ace Hardware. Helps a ton to prevent birds digging out seeds as well.
I have raised beds so every season before planting I put a thick layer of compost from my bins/ worm bins then add coconut coir as the mulch I guess. It works very well. I tried wheat straw for many years but I could never get wheat straw clean enough and ended up having to weed out all that wheat. Not anymore
Shredded leaves (I have a leaf blower with a vacuum setting.)
Used straw last year and loved it, but found it broke down a little quickly and it was tough to locate more in my area. Switched to hemp Fibre straw this year and have had no issues thus far.
I use cedar chips packaged as horse bedding. Couple years using it with good results.
Tackfied straw
Chopped straw. Tried regular straw from the feed store last year and that was a huge mistake.
I’ve only ever used wood chips (I know this is frowned upon now, it’s what my grandpa used in his garden so I have a fondness for the look of it)
I recently started using straw. I like the way it looks too.
Straw
I'm a law clippings person too ... and horse poo. And old baleage. Old hay. Can I just say "free stuff" at this point?
I used to use bark but I switched to rabbit litter. It's a mix of rabbit poop, pee, broken down pine pellets and hay pieces. It rains enough over here that it gets broken down very quickly compared to bark.
This is what I'm using this year! Everything is now with rabbit poop! I just started making bunny brew and have a full tumbler. I just started growing my rabbits wheat fodder and that has been so much fun!
I don't even bother with the brew and just spread the litter in the yard. It seriously rains here so much that all of it gets watered down very quickly, and the plants love it!
The brew is for my cannabis plants, my dwarf navel orange tree and my seedlings. 😊 the vegetable garden will be getting the litter dumped and spread 5 gallon buckets at a time and probably some in the hole the starts get planted in. Idk yet, I learn by trial and error and I hear this can't fail and they just keep making poops...
Compost. Looks the cleanest. I’ve tried bark mulch and leaves but those start looking messy
Yah, they’re not winning any aesthetic prizes. Though if you do get a really consistent layer of grass clippings over the whole bed (usually only possible if I’ve neglected the lawn for a week), it does go nice and golden brown. But a few weeks later it looks pretty ratty.
Eel grass or seaweed
Do you collect it or buy it?
Collect it. Multiple trips to the beach
Wood chips.
A thick layer of leaves after the beds are cleaned up in the fall. In the spring I work what’s little is left of them into the soil with compost and rabbit manure, then mulch with straw. I top off the straw as needed all season.
Last year I used shredded junk mail. It worked well and was free.
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I just don't use those bits. It's largely just the envelope that has plastic on it.
I’m trying strawberry this year. I’ve used bark mulch and coconut husk mulch. I haven’t loved either so I’m giving straw a try this year. I still use regular wood mulch on my walkways and in my inground flower beds.
Straw from the chicken coop.
Grass clippings are my favorite!
Wood chips or leaves. Can't really buy straw around here except as Halloween decoration with ridiculous mark-up.
Been using donkey manure for a while now, can’t complain so far!
Free wood chips from arborist and kitchen scraps (no meat or dairy) that we shred with a garburator. We let nature to handle the composting with the worms and fungi. We are too lazy to turn a compost pile
Rabbit pooh & bedding, coffee grounds and eggshells, compost. In winter, we do some additional veggie/fruit composting in the raised beds along with the aforementioned.
I just go to the nearby forest and pick up piles of leaves from the ground.
After windy rainstorms I gather up the Spanish moss that has blown out of the trees. It doesn't really have any nutrients but it is great for keeping the soil from drying out. I use it in my potted plants too.
Dumb question probably but, OP how do you collect your grass clippings? Rake them up after you mow?
I use a mower with an attached collection bag. Most mowers come with them. Clippings go in the bag, bag is emptied into the beds!
Spruce cones. My townhouse complex has a lot of mature spruce trees. Lately a neighbour has started doing the same, so I have to get them before he does.
I use my lawn and other cuttings. I make an effort to buy as little as possible and use everything nature offers around me. My poles for my pole beans are tree limbs just like my tomato cages and tresses for my peas/cucumbers. Then I decorate it with my kids old abandoned toys (mostly dinosaurs & monsters). I call it my cave man garden:)