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The Dirt On Your Mulch Match The Dirt On gives you the formula to to find your one true mulch. From "The Dirt On..." episode DTDO-106

Success in mulching comes from selecting the proper type for your situation.

There are lots of options when it comes to mulch since just about anything that covers soil is considered mulch.

The tricky part is finding your perfect mulch match and that depends both on the kind of soil you have and what you want most from your mulch.

Here are a few different scenarios, and suggestions for mulch type to go with each:

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Figure A

• Scenario #1: Compact or Clay Soil
  Mulch match: loose mulch
  If your soil is really compact, it's not getting enough air so you need a mulch that will break it up a little. Mulches made from big bark nuggets (figure A) or large pieces of gravel will allow air to get through to the soil. It won't form such a tight wall on top of the soil. These won't hold in as much water as other mulches either. This is good because compact soils can hold a lot of water anyway. A bad match would be something like a small gravel because it won't allow air in.

  To apply, grade the soil with a rake and smooth it out before laying your mulch down.
  

  	Figure B
  	Figure C

  
  

• Scenario #2: Loose or Sandy Soil
  Mulch match: tight mulch
  If your soil is really loose and sandy, it won't hold as much water as your plants might need. You want to use something with fine pieces like shredded redwood, small gravel or compost (figure B). All of these will really hold in that moisture.

• Scenario #3: Too Many Weeds
  Mulch match: heavy-duty mulch
  If you've got a lot of weeds, that means they're getting both sunlight and air so you want a mulch that won't allow them either. For this, you'll want to double up using both a landscape fabric and gravel (figure C). If you use just mulch alone you'll need to pile it up about 4-6 inches to block out the weeds. A bad match for this scenario is something like shredded redwood since weeds can grow right up through it.
  

  Blue mulch? With modern recycled and artificial mulches, anything's possible.

• Scenario #4: Mulch Near a Lawn
  Mulch match: soft mulch
  If your mulch runs right up against your lawn, it's going to come in contact with either the mower or the edger. This means you don't want to use anything sharp like gravel because your mower could suck it up and kick it back at you. Use something soft like compost or a soft shredded bark so you won't get injured out there.

Go to next article in DIY's "Gardening Basics" series.