Thanks Gale about the cedar bark. I always mulch here because of the heat. I try to tell those who ask me about their plants dying and tell me they water all the time, that hot wet soil is not a good thing for roots. They need to keep the hot summer sun off of the ground around their plants. But I was wondering about the composition of cedar versus pine and the eventual breakdown. Sometimes for me too much knowledge leads me to not doing anything for fear I'll do the wrong thing!
