I currently use wood mulch for my vegetable and flower beds. Either random stuff from a friend with a chipper, or cedar and various other un-dyed stuff from the Home Depot. I don’t have too much trouble raking the leftovers out of the way for re-planting each year. I replenish it a bit each spring as it breaks down.
I like the functionality (keeping water in and weeds down, preventing runoff) and the aesthetics of the wood mulch. However, I do have some concerns. Is the long-term use of wood mulch going to make my soil too acidic? Is there an amendment I should be adding to counteract it? I currently fertilize with a hodgepodge of composted manure, liquid kelp/seaweed, various mixes from gardensalive.com, fall leaves, and random add-ins like coffee grounds and wood ash. Does anyone know the benefits of using other mulch materials like cocoa hulls? Should I alternate some other material with the wood chips? Any other thoughts or advice?
my mulched veg bed in early July of last year
