Mulch Again

May 13, 2009
I bought another truckload of "Texas Native" mulch from Soil Buliding Systems for $30. Nine wheelbarrow loads later our paths and border are remulched to 5-6 inches deep. Hopefully this will sustain the paths for the summer. The mulch was very broken down, not good for pretty landscape mulch, but perfect for the garden since this will all be tilled under after the growing season is over. On 2/24/09 I put the first full load of the same mulch along the paths and border. This original path had gotten worn away--and dug away by the rotten dog.

I have been generally very pleased with buying mulch this way. In my old garden, the path was only 20 feet long, so bagged mulch was a decent option. In the new expanded garden the paths are 80 feet--not cheap to cover with bagged mulch costing nearly $4 a bag.

Having a good path is essential for a garden in my opinion. With a good sturdy path, I can walk into the garden in any shoes and not get all muddy. It makes the garden more accessible, and because of it, I tend to be out there more often to keep an eye on things and enjoy my garden. I prefer to use shredded tree mulch, or whatever organic matter I can find for my paths becuase when the gardening season is over, we can till the whole up--paths included. The mulch will mix into the soil and slowly break down. This makes for a more rich soil adn helps to break up the nasty clay clods.