so...the post i made in the fall is locked...so here's another one..

im actually gunna put some mulch out this spring...

any experience with any of these companies (or others you recommend):

http://www.dirtcheapnc.com/
http://linebergertree.com/

both of those companies are near where i live and wont charge a hefty delivery.. im not sure how much i need yet, but i plan on measuring tomorrow....i think i'll only do the front yard for right now which is still a pretty large area..

5/8/2009 4:21:45 PM

Area mulch and soil. I price it every year and they're always the lowest total price per yard once you factor in delivery. Check out the budget cutter mulch. Old guys that answer the phone/deliver are really entertaining.

It takes me 10 yards to do front and back.

[Edited on May 8, 2009 at 8:38 PM. Reason : d]

5/8/2009 8:37:42 PM

i have a planting bed that currently has (or used to have) pine bark nuggets. it came that way when i bought the house 3 years ago and i have since added more a couple of times. the problem is that my dogs run back and forth along that side of the fence and kick the bark everywhere, and break it into tiny little pieces that eventually become dirt. i've tried putting a small fence/barrier along the bed but they just jump over it.

what else could i put down that would be less likely to disintegrate quickly/be kicked about? my one thing is that i will not use red (or blue, green, yellow, etc) mulch of any kind. i don't really like the idea of rocks either.

5/8/2009 10:55:41 PM

sorry, but dead organic matter is continually under assault from insects, bacteria and fungi, not to mention your dogs feet, and it breaks down. thats just the way it is.

5/8/2009 10:59:48 PM

^

5/9/2009 5:44:41 AM

Build a higher fence. I bought some of the plastic fencing from lowes to keep my puppy out. It's 4 ft tall but I figured 3ft would be enough to discourage her from trying to get in and it would be easier to hammer the stakes into the ground (versus a taller stake) rather than having to dig big holes and backfilling like you'd normally do for a post. It worked for a couple weeks until she got curious enough to jump and realized she could get in, so I had to go back to each post and add another foot of wood to affix the material I had previous trimmed off. Annoying, but that plus a good scolding seems to have kept her out for the past week.

5/9/2009 7:05:42 AM

it's not the bugs and stuff that are breaking it down fast, it's the dogs. i'm looking for something more durable than pine bark. like, are wood chips more durable?

5/9/2009 11:01:33 AM

Quote :

"sorry, but dead organic matter is continually under assault from insects, bacteria and fungi, not to mention your dogs feet, and it breaks down. thats just the way it is."

5/10/2009 2:44:50 PM

^^the rocks that imitate mulch are an option

not everyone's cup of tea, but they can be attractive and pretty much maintenance free

5/10/2009 2:57:21 PM

Quote :

"i've tried putting a small fence/barrier along the bed but they just jump over it. "

haha, that's a funny image

5/10/2009 4:56:14 PM

Quote :

"i'm looking for something more durable than pine bark. like, are wood chips more durable?"

look into the rubber mulch substitutes

5/10/2009 7:30:33 PM

rubber mulch holds way too much heat in the ground... cooks your plants

5/10/2009 10:19:41 PM

yeah i've seen that stuff catch on fire all by itself.

5/11/2009 8:22:06 AM

The only thing you really should put around plants is aged and shredded pine bark mulch -- not the nuggets.
It should work fine for you. However, easiest thing is just to shoot the dogs.

5/12/2009 8:58:09 PM

FYI, the red mulch you see is actually recycled pallets in most places

5/12/2009 9:44:33 PM

Can you give me some mulch?

[Edited on May 12, 2009 at 10:24 PM. Reason : like a grocery bags worth?]

5/12/2009 10:23:58 PM

just go on campus and find a bed they've just mulched and fill your bag up

5/12/2009 10:44:59 PM

Quote :

"Area mulch and soil."

yeah, i've bought triple shredded hardwood from them and they where the cheapest after delivery. Call around, though. The prices are always different from year to year. Definitely stay away from Mulch Masters. They charge the most.

5/13/2009 8:33:20 AM