# That Time of Year - Cypress Mulch for Tree Rings & Flower Beds



## FlowRider (Apr 7, 2019)

I had to run some errands which require wearing of the mask.

So I decided to make a Lowe's run and buy some bagged mulch.

I like to use this "No Float" cypress mulch that Lowe's sells.

Lowe's is doing a much better job of loading customer orders.

I bought 25 bags to load up in my pickup truck.

The Lowe's person who helped me appeared to be a young lady, with one side of her head shaved, purple colored highlights on brown hair, and jewelry. She (I think) had a high-pitched voice, but moved like a guy. Very androgynous, so I let her load up the truck....

I used to hang out in Hollyweird, San Francisco, New Orleans, and on Sixth Street in Austin, so not much shocks or surprises me, but this just felt kind of strange. I was nice to the lady and she actually gave me a free bag, since it had ripped. I guess I have been in quarantine too long.... :crazy:

So here is my next landscaping project.



I like this mulch, nice color, and it doesn't wash out too easy in rains.

What kind of mulch do you use in your yard? Always looking at ideas....


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## nnnnnate (Apr 23, 2020)

Our local landfill produces mulch and sells it for $15 a yard. With putting in my back yard this year I bought probably 25-30 yards at 2 or 3 yards a trip. I wish they filtered out one more size of twigs but for the price and availability (distance from me) I'll deal with it. I'd guess that going forward I'll be adding 6 or so yards each spring. This year was just extra heavy because I was amending the topsoil for the beds and adding that 3-4" mulch layer on top.

I tend to top dress the beds each spring with fresh mulch. I have dug the previous years mulch in in the past but am not sure whether I'll continue doing that though. It seemed to introduce a fair amount of weed seed which I'd rather not have to hand pull. I do need to figure out what to apply to help with weeds, maybe preen pellets or something similar. I have tulip bulbs planted and do add annuals in the spring so I'd need what ever to not interfere with those.


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## Ngilbe36 (Jul 23, 2020)

I use cedar mulch I get in bulk for $30 a yard. I like the smell and in my mind it does a better job keeping bugs and critters out of the beds.


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## Cluelessone (Sep 23, 2020)

nnnnnate said:


> Our local landfill produces mulch and sells it for $15 a yard. With putting in my back yard this year I bought probably 25-30 yards at 2 or 3 yards a trip. I wish they filtered out one more size of twigs but for the price and availability (distance from me) I'll deal with it. I'd guess that going forward I'll be adding 6 or so yards each spring. This year was just extra heavy because I was amending the topsoil for the beds and adding that 3-4" mulch layer on top.
> 
> I tend to top dress the beds each spring with fresh mulch. I have dug the previous years mulch in in the past but am not sure whether I'll continue doing that though. It seemed to introduce a fair amount of weed seed which I'd rather not have to hand pull. I do need to figure out what to apply to help with weeds, maybe preen pellets or something similar. I have tulip bulbs planted and do add annuals in the spring so I'd need what ever to not interfere with those.


I thought about doing this for my beds, but black walnut toxicity kept me from using the local chips. Who knows what diseases the trees they chipped had.


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## ionicatoms (Mar 8, 2020)

FlowRider said:


> I like to use this "No Float" cypress mulch that Lowe's sells.


I also wanted the no-float, but after looking into it, I opted for melaleuca. Details at https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=15509&p=239976


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## nnnnnate (Apr 23, 2020)

> I thought about doing this for my beds, but black walnut toxicity kept me from using the local chips. Who knows what diseases the trees they chipped had.


My understanding is that the temps the compost gets up to during its process would kill off any disease as well as any weed seeds. My stuff is sold as compost not wood chips.


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## FlowRider (Apr 7, 2019)

I bought bulk hardwood mulch from a local mulch/earth/rock supplier for ~$29.00 a cubic yard.

I spread it all out from the bed of my pickup into an ATV dump trailer, so it worked pretty well.

The problem I encountered was the mulch was infested with grubs from the mulch vendor.

That night I had an armadillo tear up every flowerbed I had just filled and groomed out. Every bed.

I was mad at first, but then I just smoothed the beds out again, no big deal. He came back again.

So I thought about trapping him, but I just decided to give him some time to eat all the grubs....

After a week, I just groomed the beds, and he started raiding some other beds in the neighborhood.

I now have a "pet" armadillo, opossum, and gray tabby cat stray, that live or come into my yards.

I have just decided to let them pass in peace.... They were here before I was, so I'm okay with it.

Besides, Texas mockingbirds actually own my house; they just let me live here to do yard work.


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## 1FASTSS (Jul 11, 2018)

I use free mulch that our county dumps at our local forest preserve. Its ground from old palms and oaks etc. Its pretty good but I will be installing crushed shell since the ground eats the mulch out within 2-3 month.


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