Celina DeBrito, head gardener at Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards. Janet Mavec, author of Bird Haven Farm: ... you can also opt for pine bark mulch or pine straw mulch as alternatives.

Straw makes an attractive mulch in the vegetable garden, but I think it looks out of place in landscapes and flower gardens. A normal sized bale of straw will cover about a ten by ten foot area.

Pea straw, sugarcane or lucerne mulch types are great for the veggie patch. They'll put nutrients back into the soil as they break down and help retain moisture.

In general, pine straw covers close to 1.5 square feet per pound, while wood mulch covers about 0.5 square feet per pound. That’s one-third the weight per square foot of coverage, or three times ...