Redwood bark for Mulch

tom8o gal · April 6, 2009

Well it is warm here in Southern California and my plants are lovin' it! I would like to cover the ground around my plants with mulch to keep the moisture in and was wondering if anyone had used redwood bark. I have quite a bit of redwood bark (new this year) underneath my potting area and was thinking about replacing it with pea gravel and moving the bark into the tomato beds for mulch.

dice · April 7, 2009

I would not do that. Some of that stuff is dyed with chemicals
to make it look more uniform. No big deal under shrubs and
perennials, but not something you want on your vegetable beds.

Straw would be better and not very expensive. Some people
turn it under in late fall to add organic matter to the garden
or add it to a compost pile, but other people remove it
completely to get rid of any disease spores that may have fallen
into it from the plants over the summer.

tom8o gal · April 7, 2009

Thanks Dice. I wasn't feeling too comfortable with the idea- Just trying to be thrifty but truly- I only want the best for my tomatoes! Straw it is.

dice · April 7, 2009

The straw probably will not be more expensive than the pea
gravel that you would have replaced the redwood mulch
with. Look for it at feed stores, places that sell supplies for
horse owners, etc. You can always ask someone that has
free manure advertised on Craig's List where they get their
hay and straw, too.

April 6, 2009	#1
tom8o gal Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Orange, CA Posts: 2	Redwood bark for Mulch Well it is warm here in Southern California and my plants are lovin' it! I would like to cover the ground around my plants with mulch to keep the moisture in and was wondering if anyone had used redwood bark. I have quite a bit of redwood bark (new this year) underneath my potting area and was thinking about replacing it with pea gravel and moving the bark into the tomato beds for mulch.

April 7, 2009	#2
dice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: PNW Posts: 4,743	I would not do that. Some of that stuff is dyed with chemicals to make it look more uniform. No big deal under shrubs and perennials, but not something you want on your vegetable beds. Straw would be better and not very expensive. Some people turn it under in late fall to add organic matter to the garden or add it to a compost pile, but other people remove it completely to get rid of any disease spores that may have fallen into it from the plants over the summer. __________________ -- alias Last edited by dice; April 7, 2009 at 03:11 AM. Reason: sp

April 7, 2009	#4
dice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: PNW Posts: 4,743	The straw probably will not be more expensive than the pea gravel that you would have replaced the redwood mulch with. Look for it at feed stores, places that sell supplies for horse owners, etc. You can always ask someone that has free manure advertised on Craig's List where they get their hay and straw, too. __________________ -- alias