Laurie, the most elegant way to control weeds is to use a tool seemingly not available in this country - an English garden hoe. This tool has a long handle, so that you can stand up while doing your gardening. The result of using this tool is clean brown natural looking soil, that needs no mulch, free or purchased. The business end of the hoe has a plate about 4 inches wide by 2 inches front to back. The plate is angled just a few degrees so that it is close to, but not exactly, flush with the soil surface. There is a space behind the plate, and then a curved section linking to the handle. The hoe is moved backwards and forwards over the surface of the soil, and the weeds come out like magic and cling to the hoe, or are dug in to the soil to provide humus. The beauty of this tool is that you can use it while wearing your Sunday suit, and stay clean, which is exactly what my father used to do. The burden is that you have to work with it at least weekly to keep your weeds under control.

I am new to woodturning and from reading in a few forums I have learned that walnut shavings contain a natural poison to other vegetation so do not use it in your compost bin. (it will kill a garden) However if you know of a woodturner cabinetmaker or other woodworker in your area, (or you are one) get some walnut shavings and use them under fences and next to buildings as a natural herbicide to control unwanted weeds and grasses, saving yourself some weedeating.

I have lots of maple trees so I just rake and place them whole on beds I want to completely block from weeds such as an area to be used for a new bed, or a place in the veggie garden where a crop was that I completely took out in the fall, like tomatoes/peppers, etc. The whole leaves really block out the weeds. Only an occasional stubborn perennial will break through.

I have also used shredded newspapers, other paper and junk mail(not anything shiney)which I put directly on the soil and then cover with some other mulch like leaves or chips so the paper won't blow away. It decomposes quickly, and a identity thief won't dig through your mulch to find it.

Watch the grass clippings from lawn services. They tend to be loaded with chemicals.

For good free mulch,take three or four sheets of newspaper and lay it down and cover with grass clippings or leaves. The newspaperis a good barrier and will slowly decompose as the growing season progresses.

THe little town I live in started taking everyones grass clipping, tree limbs and fall leaves. They tried selling it after composting and nobody would buy it. Now its free and they load my truck in just a few minutes. Their idea is to stop filling up the landfill and as I know this is a big concern in a lot of places I'd be on the lookout for the same situation in your town or area. Also people in the lawn care business who have to carry off clippings have to put it somewhere. I'd think a trade of free garden goodies would make everyone happy
Rufus

I use wood chips that the county leaves in piles along the road when they take down trees. I was told that as long as I was not shoveling into the soil it would not leach nitrogen from the soil. I haven't had any problem with disease (yet) and hope that that continues.
Also, I use pine needles from the trees on the next property.
Lastly, I plant a low sedum which works great as mulch. It spreads quickly and if you have the earth-hugging yellowish kind, you can separate it strand by strand and place them a few inches from each other. They'll start to fill in the gaps as they grow.

Most ranchers (cattle, horse, goat, or other) have more manure than they can get rid of, they will happily let you take it off their hands, they might even help load it in your trailer or pickup. Take a drive up to a ranch in your county and just ask them.

Whoa, hold on with using sawdust as a milch. My reading tells me that sawdust will attempt to rot. In the rotting process it needs lots of nitrogen, and it gets it from your soil or your fertilizer bag. The result? You will need to put more fertilizer on your beds to make things grow. That's great if you have plenty of manure, but if your fertilizer comes out of a bag, it probably costs money, and it also probably is made with loads of petroleum. NOT GOOD.

Stick with grass clippings if you need immediate mulch. They leech nitrogen into the soil as they decompose, a better solution. Or get some good manure (horse, cow, chicken, rabbit) and let it age a season before you put it on anything. That way it won't burn yr crops.

Tom from Maryland

I live in an area where there are many oak trees. It's amazing who many people who want manicured lawns rake up their leaves, neatly bag them and place them on the curb to be taken to the dump. Every year I go around the neighborhood with my pickup and collect free mulch.

if you get a newspaper try shredding them it makes excellant bedding for animals it and the manure can be used for garden mulch