Tea Tree Mulch vs Sugar Cane Mulch
Around the Northern Rivers you'll hear two answers for garden beds: sugar cane or tea tree. We grow, chip and deliver our own tea tree mulch here at Teven, but we'll play it straight. They do different jobs, and cane is the better buy in some spots.
Use sugar cane mulch on annual veggie beds. It breaks down in 3 to 6 months and feeds hungry plants fast. Use tea tree mulch everywhere else. It lasts 12 to 18 months, knits into a mat that stays put, and wins on paths, natives, fruit trees and slopes.
What is the difference between tea tree mulch and sugar cane mulch?
Sugar cane mulch is chopped cane trash: light, pale and soft. It feeds your plants as it breaks down and is gone in 3 to 6 months. Tea tree mulch is chipped leaf and twig off our own trees, and it lasts 12 to 18 months. In short, cane feeds and tea tree holds.
| What you are comparing | Tea tree | Sugar cane |
|---|---|---|
| How long it lasts | 12 to 18 months | 3 to 6 months |
| Staying put | Knits into a mat | Blows and floats away |
| Stopping weeds | Very good at 75mm deep | Thins out fast |
| Feeding the soil | Slow and steady | Fast, gone in a season |
| Best for | Paths, natives, fruit trees, slopes | Veggie beds and seedlings |
Which mulch lasts longer, tea tree or sugar cane?
Tea tree lasts 12 to 18 months before it needs a top up, while cane lasts 3 to 6, so you keep buying it. That makes cane cheap on the day and dear over the year. Tea tree also stays put: watered in, it knits into a mat that holds through summer rain and coastal wind. Cane lifts in a breeze and floats out of raised beds.
Is sugar cane mulch better for a vegetable garden?
For hungry annuals like lettuce and beans, yes. Cane feeds them faster as it breaks down, so use cane in the veggie bed and tea tree everywhere else. Tea tree still earns its keep on the paths, under the fruit trees, and around perennials like berries, bananas and citrus. Just spread it on top, never dig it in.
Which mulch should you choose for your garden?
Easy: cane in the veggie beds, tea tree everywhere else. Lay tea tree 75mm deep, and one cubic metre covers 13.3 square metres at that depth, about 10 barrow loads. Measure your beds, add them up, and give us a call.
For a price, call 0402 294 776 with your square metres handy, any day 8:30am to 5pm.
Related questions
Is tea tree mulch better than sugar cane mulch?
Depends on the bed. Cane wins in the veggie patch because it feeds hungry annuals fast. Tea tree wins everywhere else because it lasts 12 to 18 months and stays put.
What are the cons of tea tree mulch?
It feeds the soil slowly, so hungry annuals do better with cane. It also costs more up front than a bale of cane, though less over a year.
Is sugar cane mulch good for native gardens?
Not really. Cane breaks down fast and feeds the soil, and natives like grevilleas and banksias grew up on poor soils. A low nutrient mulch like tea tree suits them better.
How much does one cubic metre of mulch cover?
One cubic metre covers 13.3 square metres at 75mm deep, the depth we recommend, and works out to about 10 barrow loads. Measure your beds and add a little extra.
How much does tea tree mulch cost?
We don't publish a price because delivery distance changes it. Call 0402 294 776 any day between 8:30am and 5pm, tell us your town and rough area, and we'll price it on the spot.
