[Bonanza]

Originally Posted by JMEZARIC3

What is the best mulch for TV landscaping?
Pine Straw(seems like TV landscaping along the roads is all pine straw)
Stone
Tan Bark Chips
I bought a pre-owned home with tan bark chips and it does fine with keeping the weeds under control.
The home is a Patio Villa so switching to stone or pine straw will not be a major project.
I just want to hear the pros and cons of each type.
Thank you.

It is difficult to call pine straw a mulch because it is not dense enough to protect your plants from either the hot sun in summer or the cold in winter. As you probably know it is gathered from fallen pine needles and can be loaded with insects and plant diseases. I wonder why The Villages uses it as do so many homeowners. I guess the reason is because it is cheap!

While the various types of stone look nice, they do not provide any protection for your plants either. During the summer, your plants can fry and in the winter possibly die becuase of the stones hold the cold which would not be good for some more tender plants. In addition, stones do not break down to add anything to the soil.

Wood chips, bark, nuggets, etc., serve as the best mulch. They do eventually break down and add to our sandy clay soil and last much longer than pine needles. You have many choices within this type of mulch and even using more than one type in different areas, can add to the look of your landscaping.