Welcome to The Invisible Gardener's Compost Center

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Compost Vs Mulch     MULCH         Mulching is a very important part of the organic garden. It is an excellent  way of recycling. It is always best to compost  your   mulch before  using.  Never mulch  around plants with freshly cut  mulch  from trees   or grass clippings. This will burn the plants.           What is the difference between mulch and compost?        Compost is the food and mulch protects the food from the elements like rain and the sun which will dry it out. Mulch will hold water and not allow the soil/compost to dry out. A good mulch is made from aged wood. This is wood which has been recycled from cut trees and composted organically. Often many companies add urea to their compost believing that the compost needs this "chemical" nitrogen. So ask before you buy! Urea based products are very detrimental to the soils organisms and should not be used. Instead horse manure can be added. Rock dust will also work well here as rock dust will bind the nutrition together.              How to use Mulch What type of mulch should I use? The type of mulch that you will use will depend on the plants you are  using and the effects you want. If you are using mulch as a decorative mulch then you go with what looks best for the conditions you have. An example would be whether to use big chips or little chips and whether the chips are the proper color or not. Decorative mulch does not break down and therefore does not add organic matter to the soil. I use mulch as a way to: 1. control above ground water 2. control the ph of the soil (by using azalea mix as a mukch,it will not only control water and diseaxes but also break down into the soil and help keep the ph levels at right place.   last upgraded on March 5, 2013   Here is an example of a fiber mulch being used.