Q: We keep a large vegetable garden but we have little time for weeding. What would be a good mulch?

A: Pine straw makes a fine mulch; it does not acidify the soil. You could used shredded leaves if you keep the mulch two inches away from plant stems. Or you could use a thin layer of free wood chips. As long as the chips are not mixed with underlying soil, they do not rob nitrogen from your plants.