I don't like the idea of landscape fabric or sheeting leaving plastic residue on my property

I live in apple country and while I have a good bunch of trees (100-plus) I am a small-timer here in NY apple country. I, too, have wanted to much the trees for weed control and mainly to keep my mower deck away from the trunk and my head and roll bar out of the limbs!

To the man, everyone advised me against introducing any foreign substance (mulch) to the trees, I think mainly because if a guy buys it, no idea what's in it where it came from etc.

I think if I made my own here or got it from a guy grinding stumps or something, it'd be fine. But haven't got the confidence to do it yet!

The Amish us "mulch" hay in their gardens and berries to keep weeds down and I will be doing that with my berries.......

Mulch hay (to them) are old round bales with no feed value that they'd use for bedding etc.

MZ

I have another order of diverse trees in transit from Chief River Nursery. Tonight I was at Hardware Hank. Anyone ever see/use this kind of mulch?:

Yesterday I received a tree order from Chief River Nursery. They had it bundled w/ a bunch of moss in the bag. I used the moss as mulch, which seemed to work good. It occured to me that commercial moss might be a good alternative-- perhaps even better than-- traditional bark mulch (for new trees)

What stores in Ohio carry your red pine shavings/mulch? I'm having trouble finding anything labeled red pine.

Whats the opinion on putting a layer of putting a layer of aged (at least a year and a half) leaf (primarily oak leaves that were collected and piled up) compost as a base layer, then adding wood mulch on top of the leaf mulch around fruit (apple, pear, peach and persimmon) chestnut, and pine trees?

I did put some oak leaves (not many) after planting. I figure it'll help keep the soil from drying out