Mulch gets all the attention, but it doesn’t own the spotlight. Plenty of other materials can step in, protect soil, lock in moisture, and even outlast traditional wood chips without draining a wallet ...

GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — Mulching is an essential gardening practice that conserves moisture, suppresses weeds, and enriches soil. While wood mulch is popular, there are several alternative options that ...

Well-maintained flower garden with living groundcover. - Craig Lovell/Getty Images With warmer weather often comes the need to refresh your mulch. After all, months spent sheltering your plants from ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Skinny tree trunk surrounded by mound of dark mulch in a yard next to a sidewalk. - Ozgurcoskun/Getty Images Many people avoid ...

Mulch gets treated like a must-buy item, almost like soil's expensive sidekick that shows up in bags and disappears into flower beds. Garden centers stack it high, trucks haul it in bulk, and wallets ...

While wood mulch is popular, there are several alternative options that offer unique benefits and challenges.