Summer mulches are used during the growing season for flowers and vegetables. They retain moisture, reduce weed growth, and moderate temperatures. Can supplement winter mulches. Ideally, summer mulches decompose in one or two seasons and are incorporated into the soil to enhance it.

Winter mulches are used for protection and insulation, usually for shrubs and perennial flower gardens (and septic systems). Best removed as early as possible in the spring because dark winter mulches hold frost longer than areas with no mulch. Straw is the best winter mulch for the money, but don't substitute hay! Unless you want to grow a new hayfield, that is.

Used primarily for walkways and play areas, around trees and shrubs, and along edges, "permanent" organic mulches still need to be replenished every year or two, and should be stirred up in the spring to prevent matting. Rubber and other inorganic materials are more permanent.

Cocoa Hulls are a nice-looking, semi-permanent mulch around annual flowers, in planned gardenscapes, etc. Use them when you want something organic that doesn't shout "MULCH!" They are a good weed control and allow water to penetrate. If your Cocoa Hulls mold, you've got too much moisture in the area. Take them out and throw them away. Apply to a 1 inch depth.

Bark mulches are very common around our area, usually applied in flower beds and gardenscapes, and around trees and shrubs. They look nice, come in different colors, keep plant roots cool, provide good weed control and allow water penetration. Decomposing wood chips and barks add nitrogen to the soil. They should be stirred up each spring to prevent matting. Apply to a 2-3 inch depth.

Grass Clippings decompose quickly, especially if shredded, and add vital nutrients to the soil. Throw your clippings under trees or shrubs, and keep the depth to about 1 inch at a time. Leaves are an excellent winter mulch for perennial gardens and cut-back shrubs. Pile 6-12 inches on your garden in the fall, and rake off about 2 inches in the spring.

Landscape fabrics have a definite and important place in all kinds of gardens. They're laid down underneath other mulches to slow decomposition. Landscape Fabrics regulate soil temperature and keep weeds down while letting water through. Put a length of landscape fabric down each row of your vegetable garden and drastically reduce weeding (and muddy feet). Just roll it up in the fall and use again each spring.

Black plastic definitely keeps the weeds down! But it doesn't let water through, and decomposes rapidly when exposed to the sun. Use circles of black plastic around individual plants early in the year, or cover a broad area to effectively eliminate grass or weeds without chemicals.

Clear plastic gives your garden a "greenhouse effect" in the spring, heating up the ground and encouraging any weeds to sprout instantly. Lay clear plastic over your vegetable garden in the fall, after you've tilled, and you'll start up in the spring much faster.

You can, but Peat Moss retains an extreme amount of moisture and is usually added as a soil amendment. If used as mulch, apply to a depth of no more than 1 inch.

These materials look, well, artificial, but have their place. Some of these materials are recycled, which helps the environment in a roundabout way. They're excellent weed controllers and allow water to go through, and usually stay in place even through hurricane winds or floods. Apply to a depth of 1 to 2 inches.