Mulch for veggie garden?

[ShwarmaQueen]

I'm almost to the point of planting (another week? and I cannot find what to use for mulch- weed control/water evap preventer. Ideas?

I cannot get hay, I live in the city and I wouldn't trust it to be chemical free even if I did find it.

I cannot use grass clippings since we use a yard service and the big mower they use mixes everyones grass together.

I have newspaper, but I guess that needs to be weighted down somehow. Right now there's weed fabric down but I'm not intending to keep it there because it's annoying to work with (and somehow yucky).

Can I use bagged mulches from Lowes? Which kind are safe for veggie gardens? Cedar?

[Owen'nZoe]

Personally, I use straw when I need mulch on my garden, but often use nothing. If you plant your beds intensively, they will grow together as they become established, creating a 'living mulch' which shades out the weeds and keeps the soil from drying out so quickly. Maybe this would be an option for you?

[Shellie]

I bought a bag of organic mulch. I am not even sure I need it, but want to make sure I have it on hand to help keep things moist when it gets hot.

[MissMommyNiceNice]

check ads on craigslist. we get ours for free from a place that does trees. They can't use all that they make, so they just give away the shredded trees. YOu just need to go with a truck & pick it up.

[mattemma04]

I would buy a bale of straw from a feed store. I have also used leaves that I shredded with the mower and added shredded paper to it.A little water keeps it from blowing away. I have used bagged mulch in a pinch,but I don't think I used cedar.

Found an old thread:http://www.mothering.com/discussions...php?p=10985699

A list of options:http://pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/ho...veg-mulch.html

[flapjill]

I have used newspaper in the past, wet it and weighted it down with stones and/or bricks. It eventually becomes incorporated into the soil. Eventually!! :0)