Hi Stuart, interesting comparison. I am leery of the free stuff here because poison ivy is so prevalent in the trees that it could easily be in the local government piles that are free. The tree trimming companies have the same problem. The good stuff does break down fast but is properly cooked to reduce weeds, etc. I use the bagged soil conditioner, very finely chopped pine bark because it works wonders with our red clay soil.
Frances

I love the difference in language between the English speaking countries. "Tree lopper" sounds so much more serious than the title we use here in California, "tree trimmer."

My husband and I were having this same conversation--about spending more to get better quality--but in a different context than gardening. I guess the benefit of the soil companies' mulch is that it's a two-in-one. It will improve the quality of your soil while also helping to retain moisture and prevent weeds. So to fairly compare it to the cheap mulch, you'd have to deduct the cost you'd normally spend amending your soil from the cost of the mulch, so that you could compare the prices more accurately.

In Houston, Tx, airports started selling hay a few years ago: http://www.fly2houston.com/0/1081027/0/1906D1934/

I'd be concerned about whether rocket fuel was getting into it while it was growing though.

But, the smaller one, Ellington Air Force Base, doesn't have nearly as many flights as Houston's main airport, Intercontinental. EFB occasionally has air shows, which they practice for, and is usually the airport the US President flies into. But I bet that slows down soon, once the presidency changes.

If the photo is of the larger mulch, I like that weathered, silvery color in the garden. It makes a perfect backdrop for most blooms and foliage. You pose a good question; I suppose it ultimately depends on what you hope the mulch will do for YOUR garden.

Great answers all.

@Frances - you make a good point and one that I've obviously overlooked. Here in Oz, we don't suffer from the same issues such as poison ivy but obviously, the world over, weeds are a problem and can become unstoppable if not treated well within the mulch.

@Fern - another good point. It would be interesting to know the quantities of amending material that added within each mulch. Given that information we could, quite rightly, calculate the value of the mulch. My bet's on the free mulch remaining cheaper though - did I just say that!

@Shreela - interesting point about the rocket-fuel injected straw. I've had many stand-up debates with people who won't eat fennel that grows alongside the road for fear of ingesting pollutants. Mmmm...might be worth some more research...

@Nancy - cha-ching! I would have to agree with you Nancy. It completely depends on what you're trying achieve. For the record, I like the weathered look too - it's a bit more natural, don't you think?

An excellent question. I agree that it must depend on what we are planning to use the compost for. I use the free stuff from my own yard so I have some relative control over the weeds in it. I had wondered if my compost was ready to put in my future garden but I guess I did okay with it.

We pay for our mulch from our city composting facility because we have them load it with a bulldozer. I think it costs less than $12.00 but that is reasonable for a cubic yard. If you load it yourself it's free. And like you I have found the stuff you get from companies breaks down faster.

11 years ago we bought this suburban block (and house) in the foothills of the Dandenongs, Victoria. It was overgrown with large rubbishy exotic trees and some pathetically scrubby native (but not endemic, ie local) varieties, which had created an unsightly tangle of congested foliage. The soil was badly depleted, mostly podsols and brick-hard clay.

So we had a bloke chop down 18 large trees and all the scrub and mulch the lot. All we saved were a mature blood plum tree, a couple of tree ferns and a fruiting crown of rhubarb. We planned, laid out, landscaped and planted the garden we wanted (front and back).

We mulched the lot with the proceeds of the old trees. By retaining water and controlling weeds, that mulch - which in places took up to five years to break down - gave our new plants the protection and water they needed, mostly from our sparse rains. By then, we were able to top up the mulch systematically with compost made from our kitchen wastes and clippings. We've never had to buy even a bag of soil, mulch or compost; although we did decide to give our few roses a head start with a couple of bags of good rose potting mix.

We've also planted four hedges of pittosporums as windbreaks, two of which we keep cut down to between 2 and 3 metres; the others have grown to their full height of 5 to 6 metres as trees. Those trees, plus a couple of large specimen tree plantings, do make heavy demands on the soil, and compact it. But except under these larger trees, the soils, front and back, are now uniformly good, rich, friable and full of worms. All from our own mulch and compost.

The point I'd like to make is simply this: most households produce sufficient vegetable waste that they can EASILY make all the compost they need to mulch and feed their gardens.

Sure, we do use small pebbles, which control weeds better, as a mulch in a few pots, but most of the soil in those pots is pure compost. That compost also includes the rejuvenated remnants of the potting mix in which the plants we've bought come from the nursery. Providing you turn the compost heap every week or two, it generates plenty of heat to cook any bad bugs in it. And gives you a little light exercise into the bargain!