Mulch - is anyone familiar with Cedar mulch?...pros and cons

We have access to cedar mulch from a local builder of cedar homes. I wonder if it would be too acidic for some of the plants....as in roses etc.?

I use cedar mulch on top of fabric to make paths through flowerbeds. I prefer to mulch plants with compost if they are heavy feeders, and with gravel if they like to grow "lean".

Cedar mulch is excellent as it's a natural pest repellent. We use it on all our beds here and it smells great, too!

Thanks June_Ontario and Stephanietx,
I have seen it put down as mulch, a friend of mine had used it, but she thought either the drought or the cedar mulch might have been the culprit in losing some of her plants. She was not sure which, so I thought I would ask some of you out here if you had used it and what kind of luck you had with it. She had lost some Hosta and someone else had told me not to put it around roses. I thought I wouldbuzz DG members and see what kind of luck they had had with Cedar Mulch.

Thanks much for the info.!!!!

It's all I use, and I have 85 roses and a over 100 perennials. I've used it for years.

WOW! - Another proof of the pudding!!! Thanks Repeat_Bloomer! You have all convinced me.........I think I will go buy some more!! :) :)

hate to bring up an old thread but
I just read the article on composting, and it mentioned that cedar mulch can retard plant growth or is bad for plants. Much the same as planting too near a walnut tree.
I have used cedar mulch in the past and have had no trouble with it that I am aware of. Of course I do lose plants once in a while, but I don't think it is because of the cedar because I lose them in my other beds too. I was thinking about using mulch from a farm or city dump, utility co ect. But it would contain a mixture of all kinds of woods, including walnut. Although walnut has a strong scent, could probably tell it if it were present. Would just a little be too strong and harm plants?

My husband likes for me to use the cedar, it doesn't have pesticides that can hurt the animals, dogs will chew on it at times! And it helps repel the bugs from the house. We use it in the areas up next to the house. I too lose a plant once in a while, it doesn't both my daylily or anyof my bulbs for spring. But I may have to pay a little more attention to some of the stuff in the other areas, hummmm,

Just read in Organic Gardening that cedar mulch is great in helping retard the growth of weeds in vegetable gardens. I would think it would work the same way on vegetables, but...? I've used it as mulch in landscaping beds and around trees with no ill effects noticed.

Until recently (relatively) we had little choice in mulches. We used the cedar for it repellant qualities and it good smell and it doesn't disappear so quickly. We still use it when we can get it at a competative price.

Ann

Yes, cedar mulch is usually more expensive than regular hardwood bark mulch. In the Midwest, hardwood bark is the cheapest, then pine, then cedar and cypress are usually tied for most expensive. I guess that's because they both pretty much have to be brought in from farther south.

I use it for my beds up close to the house. I have never used for veggie garden, I'm not sure if slowed the growth of anything or not. Thats what I have used since I made the beds, sorry I'm not more help.

But, I will say I would use a cheaper mulch for areas not close to the house if I make a big bed.
Laura H

Cedar mulch is the cheapest up here, and I use it a lot. Don't use it around or near apple trees, or crabapples, though.

Locally, these are the prices for mulch (bulk by the cubic yard- picked up w/delivery extra)

Medium grade hardwood bark: $30

Forrest Fines (fine grade hardwood): $29.50

Western Red Cedar: $40

Pine bark (small nuggets): $35

Cypress (bagged only) $4.25 per 3 cu. ft. bag = $38.25 per cu. yd. (hard to find it in bulk this year)

How do these prices compare to what you all pay for in your region?

Hemlock 25.00
Hardwood 15.00
Ultrakote (?) 4 colors 20.00
Bark fines screened 18.00
Pine (various) 15.00
Spruce 22.00
Cedar 15.00
Economy (basic green waste bark) 10.00

These are cubic yard, picked up.

Wow! Pollyk, you are SO lucky to be able to get mulch for those prices! I sure wish we could get them at those rates in this area! The supplier I quoted provides mulch for a huge area in the Midwest, even Chicagoland, bagged and bulk. Must have a corner on the market!

Now I'm really curious what ours are compared! I will go by there next week on my way home and post. From what I remember, I think we are a little closer to HoosierGreens. But am interested in the difference for this year, especially with the economy. And we pick up, they are too far away for us to have delivered, would really run the rates up!!

The retail rates I posted are the new 2009 prices. They all were a few dollars lower last year, but the increases were expected. I'm just amazed at the drastic differences between the two regions of the country. I can't wait to let the local mulch place know how cheap mulch is in New York! (And the hardwood bark is a local by-product of the timber industry. To think that just 35 years ago, the lumber companies used to burn the bark is amazing.)

Those are our prices for 2009 here. I don't know why the big difference. We are so heavily wooded here, and this is a local place. I think the mulch all comes from local sources. To buy in bags at the big chain stores is much more expensive. More around your prices for Cypress and woods that are not grown here.