Mulching your flower and vegetable garden is a great way to suppress weeds, conserve water, prevent erosion, and regulate the temperature of your soil. In fact, mulching is probably the most time-saving measure you can take in your garden. There are many types of mulches - plastic, wood chips, pine needles, and straw, to name a few. So, which type is best for your garden? Here’s a mulching checklist to help you decide.

Plastic
- Black and red plastic mulch will increase the soil temperature, allowing you to plant summer crops earlier.
- Many soil-borne diseases can be greatly reduced or even eliminated by using plastic mulch.
- Weeds are reduced and crops often see an increased rate of growth compared with bare soil. Specifically, cucumbers, squash, melons, tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers do very well when planted over a plastic mulch.
- Because water can’t permeate the plastic, you will have to water your garden with a drip irrigation system or soaker hoses that are placed under the plastic.
- Expensive, difficult to remove, and not environmentally sustainable.
- Not as attractive as natural mulches.
Wood Chips
- Look lovely, last a long time, and are relatively inexpensive. Because they last so long, they are a good choice for walkways and perennial beds.
- Do a good job suppressing weeds, but you should make sure you cover your planting beds with a covering of mulch that is at least three inches deep.
- Great at retaining moisture and keeping the soil temperature stable, but are less effective than plastic at preventing soil-borne diseases.
- As they break down, nitrogen is depleted from the top layer of soil, which means you may have to fertilize more often.
- Not the best choice for vegetable gardens because you will have to remove the mulch before putting in a new crop.
Pine Needles
- Last even longer than wood chips.
- Great for controlling moisture and deterring insect pests.
- Great for acid-loving plants like evergreens, hydrangeas, blueberry bushes, strawberries, and fruit trees. They are acidic and therefore will lower your garden’s pH over time
- A bit wispy, so require a thick layer to keep them in place and suppress weeds.
Straw
- In most areas straw is easy to find and very inexpensive.
- Is not the most attractive mulch, but is great for a backyard vegetable garden.
- Regulates moisture and keeps temperatures even.
- A thick layer will suppress weeds. Be careful as some contain seeds that will sprout and grow in your garden.
- Quite desirable to rodents, slugs, and snails. If these pests are a problem in your garden, straw might not be for you.

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