I''ll bet that explains why the birds are always digging around in my mulch. I stopped using Sevin to kill the pillbugs since I have beehives, and now I have many more birds, lizards and skinks. (NOT skunks, skinks.)
I could get away with just using ground cover plants instead of mulch if it weren't for the cold wind in the winter. Until i get some more hedgerows up to a decent size, I will have to protect, and wood mulch is definitely the cheapest option.
The compost I use is exactly like Steves--and since it is aged and turned for 3 years, there is no smell and no weed seeds to speak of.
It's $300 for a 15-ton dump truck load, so I dole it out pretty carefully. The horse farm is 1/4 mile away, and the compost guy is 1 mile away, but I have to pay the same delivery fee as someone clear across town.
At least my wood mulch is free, and I don't have to haul any of it in the car!
