posted 3 years ago
Hi. Eastern red cedar is fine to use as a mulch. It is not a cedar and does not contain the tannins cedar does, which some plants (e.g., blueberries) don't like. However, it will, over a long period of time, make the soil a bit more acidic, so if you are struggling with trying the make the soil under a particular plant more alkaline, you might want to use something else as a mulch.
Also, using wood chips, even fresh wood chips, as mulch does not rob the soil of nitrogen as long as you are using the mulch on top of the soil and not mixing it in. It does make nitrogen on the very top layer of the soil unavailable but that also helps inhibit weed germination, so that's a good thing. And, over time, as it degrades, it will add nutrients and moisture retaining organic material to the soil and make the soil a better environment for the microbes you need for healthy soil.