13
votes
Accepted
What are these curly mushroom-like growths in my mulch?
Definitively a mushroom, a cup fungus of the pezizaceae family. (Precise identification is difficult over the internet.)
What you see are the fruiting bodies - not unlike the apples on a tree. The ...
- 15.6k
12
votes
Accepted
What can be done with hazelnut shells?
If you have enough, try using them for mulch on a pathway. They last a long time, are a durable mulch, and make a lovely sound. In the Northwest US you can actually purchase bags of hazelnut shells ...
- 2,502
10
votes
Identify small, white, "ant-like" bug found in chips near tree
I can't be certain with the picture quality but based on their location in the wood chips and their appearance I'm going to say you have termites. Certainly get rid of them and/or call a bug inspector ...
- 1,043
9
votes
Accepted
Is it beneficial to put plastic or landscaping fabric under mulch?
Definitely not plastic - landscape fabric needs to be water/air permeable. The reason fabric's used is to reduce or stop weed germination, particularly when stones are laid over the top. Even that's ...
- 131k
8
votes
How can I encourage mulch to decompose?
The highest nitrogen fertilizer you can easily find, and water to keep it damp/humid, but not so much as to wash the fertilizer out of it. If you have sufficient privacy, or a dog, urine will also ...
- 20.3k
8
votes
Weed Identification
I planted some Oxalis deppei in the garden at my university last year and it looked just like your plant. It had little dark pink flowers and spread like crazy, from 15 bulbs planted in spring I got ...
- 5,366
8
votes
What weed covering should I use under my mulch?
You cannot use plastic - it will waterlog after rain. Weed fabric allows water and air through, whereas plastic does not. You can buy heavier duty weed fabric, so you might consider that, but most ...
- 131k
8
votes
What can be done with hazelnut shells?
Yes you can use them for composting, with good composting conditions (greens, browns, temperature, and moisture) they should be no problem for the micro-organisms responsible for composting.
However, ...
- 12.9k
7
votes
Should I have added dead leaves directly to my garden?
I do it every year and always have great vegetable gardens. If the forest does not die from leaves your garden will not. I just till then in several times over the fall and winter then have a great ...
- 71
7
votes
Accepted
What fungus is this?
This is a member of the Nidulariaceae / birds nest fungi, the exact variety would need better photos and possibly a microscope, but I can still answer your other questions:
No, they are not dangerous....
- 15.6k
7
votes
How to effectively remove wood chips from the garden?
I'm not sure what the best way to remove them is but depending on the type of wood chips they could be good to mix with other green material to turn into compost for the flower beds. Using coffee ...
- 1,877
7
votes
What are these curly mushroom-like growths in my mulch?
I'll confirm that the identification of Peziza fungus is accurate in Stephie's answer, and it is a saphrophytic fungus, meaning it merely digests dead material, link below (if you scroll down) shows ...
- 131k
7
votes
Accepted
Do you uproot plants in a no dig garden with mulch
Even with a no dig method, it's still necessary to disturb the soil a little if you want to clear or plant, especially vegetable crops. Remove the plants you no longer need, uprooting them - it doesn'...
- 131k
7
votes
Accepted
Should I bury my blackberry/raspberry canes in mulch over winter?
I am zone USDA zone 3 b to 4 and you can't kill blackberry plants. I have mine growing with morning sun in a raised bed beside a concrete foundation. Every year, dead to the ground, every year eight ...
- 57.4k
7
votes
What can be done with hazelnut shells?
Or you can use empty hazelnut shells for cheese smoking. It is well known that hazelnut shells are one of the best smoke sources for that purpose.
Many famous cheeses have their "smoked" versions, ...
- 5,790
7
votes
What can be done with hazelnut shells?
Hazelnut and many other tree nut shells are packed with BTUs. If you have a wood stove, try tossing them in.
See the following web page for examples: https://www.harvesttimeshells.com/half_shell.html ...
- 1,935
6
votes
What kind of mulch should I avoid for vegetable garden paths?
If you really want the Victorian look use stone dust with fines. This is crushed limestone gravel with the dust and is usually inexpensive.
excavate your path two to three inches deep or lay the ...
- 57.4k
6
votes
Organic mulch as a compost substitute
There shouldn't be any drawbacks, provided it was turned into compost using a hot, aerobic system. Many yard trimmings contain pathogens - fungal infections, insect infestations, so it needs to be ...
- 131k
6
votes
Accepted
Can compost be used as mulch?
Yes, absolutely. You do not need anything from the store, and you can use your home made compost as a mulch without adding anything on top. If your compost has been produced using a hot aerobic system ...
- 131k
6
votes
Applying straw mulch - should straw touch tree base?
In general, no mulch should be piled up against a woody trunk or woody stem. If you're using straw for insulation purposes because winter is coming, just leave a little clear space, an inch or two all ...
- 131k
6
votes
Can I mulch a plant bed before planting in it?
Yes you can. I've had to do that numerous times in order to help suppress weeds until I can get the shrubs in. I would, however, recommend against it. It can be pretty annoying to have to move all ...
- 1,699
6
votes
Are Oak leaves good for making mulch?
Assuming that all four trees you mention really are Quercus varieties, oak leaves make the best leafmould - they break down faster and make quality leaf mould. The way to produce leafmould is to put ...
- 131k
6
votes
Accepted
What are these divots (holes) in the mulch?
These look like Ant Lion traps to me. Ant Lions are considered beneficial garden insects and are nothing to worry about.
Here's a blog post with a photo of an almost identical situation.
And another ...
- 6,977
5
votes
Accepted
Pros and Cons of wood vs stone mulch
I'm not a fan of stone/gravel mulch. I use it in one spot for a specific reason but it's hard to keep it looking clean. Weeds will still grow in it or past it. Either because the landscape fabric ...
- 8,497
5
votes
Accepted
How to cover a backyard with mulch?
If the grass is dead, no need to remove it. If it's not dead, it may grow.
If the yard puddles before mulch, it will puddle under the mulch. So fixing the shape of it for good drainage before ...
- 20.3k
5
votes
What kind of mulch should I avoid for vegetable garden paths?
I avoid mulches that are dyed - the reds and super blacks are common ones. There may be no reason to do so, but I don't know what those dyes are made with.
(See J. Musser's comment below for info on ...
- 6,977
5
votes
How to effectively remove wood chips from the garden?
When scraping up wood chips in the past from stacking wood for the winter I've used a grain/snow shovel to get most of them up by pushing it under the wood chips, then using a leaf rake to gather up ...
- 8,736
5
votes
Are unmulched leaves any good for my tree?
In order for them to provide useful nutrients the next season they need to be chopped. A lawnmower or leaf blower that will inhale and shred leaves works great.
I pile six inches of shredded leaves ...
- 57.4k
5
votes
How long to use mulch when establishing a tree?
It depends on the tree and its natural habitat. If the tree is normally found growing in a forest with its roots shaded by other trees, and its roots covered by forest litter, then that's what you ...
- 23k
5
votes
Accepted
How can I encourage mulch to decompose?
There are several steps you can take to speed up decomposition of organic material. Decomposition of organic debris is both a physical and chemical process. Some of the steps listed below are needed ...
- 504
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible