I’ve been going back and forth on mulch for my vegetable garden. Wood chips seem to last longer, but straw is easier to pull aside when sowing. Both have fans, and each person swears the other option is a mistake.

To figure out how much I’d need either way, I measured the beds and used the mulch calculator on Gardenvoila set to a three-inch layer. The volume was higher than I expected, which pushed me toward straw bales since they’re cheaper per cubic foot. Price decided it more than anything.

Has anyone noticed slugs getting worse under straw? Also, do you till the old mulch in at season’s end or leave it to break down on top? I’m worried about nitrogen tie-up with wood chips.