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Old April 26, 2018   #102
AlittleSalt
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Join Date: May 2014
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I bought five 2 cu. ft. bags of, "No Float Cypress Mulch" from Walmart at $2.32 per bag and 6 more five gallon buckets. After the employee discount it was $28+change. I sold $28 of aluminum cans today - so it was free. I have always recycled aluminum cans to use for gardening money - it's earth friendly and I get new gardening toys to play with - is how I see it.

I went with the No Float Cypress Mulch, because a good friend here at Tomatoville recommended it to me a couple years ago when I was still growing in ground. I saw the results of using it. Weeds did not grow in it, and it did keep the ground temperature lower which is important in this part of Texas. Uncovered ground can blister your feet. Just imagine what it does to plants.

Out of curiosity, I wondered what the cypress mulch did when tilling it in? I had nothing to lose because RKN and Fusarium Wilt race 3 had already infected the raised beds. I tilled it in - in Autumn of 2016. Last year, nothing grew well there - including grass and weeds. This year, not much is growing there.

That is exactly what I want in a ground cover. A somewhat natural product that helps cool down the soil around the buckets, helps prevent splash-up, and at least kind of keeps the weeds from growing.
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