Weed No More, My Lady
Newspaper is a perfect way to cheat on the cost of expensive decorative mulches like bark. Lay down a thick layer of newspaper, no glossy sections, wet it thoroughly, and cover with a thick layer of decorative mulch. You'll need a 7-10 sheet thickness to effectively block weeds. These days, most newspapers use soy-based inks; but double-check that your favorite rag doesn't use anything toxic before recycling it.
Straw is a favorite for vegetables and small fruits. I tried this mulch for the first time last season on my potatoes and fell in love. I'm selling my tiller! Well, probably not; but I must admit, straw not only looks good, it works extremely well at weed suppression. I plan on using it on the entire vegetable plot this season.
Always use straw, never hay. Even if its called "mulch" hay it's bound to contain weed seeds. Straw is the stem left over after harvesting wheat and other grains. Though not necessarily seed-free, straw is less apt to contain undesirables. However, straw tends to be expensive, so if you've a large garden, combine it with newspaper.
Though often easy to obtain for free, steer clear of sawdust as mulch. It's hard to wet, once wetted holds water rather than releasing it, and gobbles nitrogen, depriving the soil of both moisture and nutrients. I've seen it used commercially on blueberries, but personally, I'd mix it with something coarser like wood chips. Also, I wouldn't use any that wasn't composted at least a year.
I've tried a few of the commercial inorganic mulches and don't much care for them; but they do have their uses in certain applications. Though I hate conventional black plastic, I do approve of IRT. Prof. Brent Loy of the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Cooperative Extension, a plastic mulching pioneer, has reformulated his original IRT mulch. This plastic mulch allows air, water and infrared light rays to pass through while blocking visible light. The soil is warmed and weed growth discouraged. (http://www.johnnyseeds.com)
Like all plastic mulch, monitor the soil under IRT very carefully for moisture content. Air and water move both ways through this mulch and solar heating can dry things out pretty quickly. Also, it tends to beak down fairly quickly and lasts no more than a couple seasons. That said, using this mulch is the only way I've grown lots of melons to sweet maturity here in central New Hampshire.
Another specialty plastic mulch
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