While using cedar for mulch won’t immediately damage your vegetables, it’s a good idea to restrict it to plants that won’t be tilled every year. However, this can cause serious problems for your plants if their soil is already very moisture retentive. That blanket also protects a garden from the most extreme cold to allow growing those plants which are only marginally hardy in your zone. Even with the cedar chips as an insulative cover, your plants' roots will still receive the moisture they need to thrive.

Do not use it around vegetable plants, where the soil will be tilled, and the mulch will be worked deep into the soil. Therefore, products such as kiln-dried pine are safe (many pet products are heat-treated like this). This is great for use around the base of plants if you have an insect issue in your garden, or are trying to prevent pest problems, as cedar mulch can act as a natural pesticide. As with other mulches, cedar can keep the soil beneath it moist by preventing evaporation, thus reducing the necessity for frequent irrigation. Cedar mulch is an organic top dressing for garden soil, which offers multiple benefits to the home gardener.There are some situations where cedar mulch is not the best option, and these should be considered and applied to your own circumstances before you make your decision about using cedar mulch.

These red cedar sachets arrived in great condition, with a surprise additional oil to replenish the cedar when needed.To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Some alternatives include paper-based pellets and fluff like Carefresh Ultra (an absorbent bedding that also holds together well so the wet parts can easily be scooped out), litters made from a variety of other organic materials (e.

Sign up for the Gardening Know How newsletter today and receive a free download of our most popular eBook "How to Grow Delicious Tomatoes.Cedar and pine became popular as pet bedding materials because they are good at controlling odor and have some natural insecticidal properties (they kill or repel bugs like lice, especially the cedar chips). However, I will support that cedar is a slow to rot wood and therefore won't promote fast hot composting. This is bad for the environment, of course, but also for your plants and, if you intend to harvest them to eat, for yourself and your family. If cedar chips are installed at the ideal thickness of around 2 to 3 inches, they will form an effective insulative cover for your soil.