What materials would be a good mulch for a vegetable garden?
Lawn clippings, straw, and leaves are excellent mulches for the vegetable garden. Allow lawn clippings to dry before applying them to gardens. A thick layer of fresh lawn clippings may get hot and produce an unpleasant odor. If the lawn has been treated with a broadleaf herbicide, don’t use the clippings until the lawn has been mowed 2 or 3 times after the application. Straw should be free of crop and weed seed. Suitable materials include wheat, oat, and soybean straw. Leaves should be shredded or composted before applied as a mulch. Shredded or composted leaves are less likely to blow away in the wind. A mulch depth of 2 to 4 inches would be appropriate when applying these materials to the vegetable garden.