I use the heck out of it. it has helped supress weeds more than any other technique by a long shot. i mulch 4-6 inches deep with leaf litter, pine straw, and - this year - wheat straw. i HATE weeding...period.
I use mulch too. 1) We collect fallen leaves in the fall & mulch them. Sometimes it takes two years before they are decomposed enough to use as mulch. I have multiple piles around the periphery of our yard of these leaf piles. 2) I also compost as much as I can & use this in the garden. 3) I buy bark mulch & by hook or by crook inveigle my (almost) grown kids into spreading it for me. At my old house, I used to use a dust mulch, but that is too labor intensive & doesn't improve the soil. SubHomestead: I like your video. Informative & just the right length. But I am curious: I never place newly mown grass on my beds because I am concerned about spreading weed seeds in the garden. I compost them first, then place on the beds. Have you had trouble with weed/grass seeds from mown grass?
Thanks Cayuga Morning. I'm glad you liked the video. Using fresh grass clipping can indeed spread grass seed. Composting would be better, but I just don't have enough to do that. I've discovered that if I apply a bit of the grass clippings every couple of weeks, it kind of suppresses even the grass growth. I also plant very close together. That leaves very little room and sun for the weeds and grass. Also my yard is full of ground Ivy, that grows much faster than the grass, so one weed outcompetes the other. ( But I cannot say my yard is the tidiest in late fall) That is when the weeds have won the battle). So in short: it is better to use grass clippings that have not gone to seed, or to hot compost them.
