Mulch for Garlic

[greenthumbomaha]

After a moderate December, a very cold winter is predicted for my neck of the woods
.
I no longer have access to organic weed free straw.The farm store closed. The decorative fall bales unleashed a ton of weed seeds which I will likely battle for years to come. The double flame weeding did little and the garden is a mess.
Last fall I mulched with shredded leaves, and set folded tomato cages on top to hold it down. My shredder broke at the end of the last season. On the fence about buying a new one or composting for leaf mold instead.

I use Dewitt Sunbelt or Pro5 weed fabric, but there were significant break thru areas.

I have access to grass clippings. Would a thick layer hold in too much moisture over the winter? I could peel it back in early spring.

One year I used bagged pine bark mulch, but the garlic area was much smaller. It's $4 a bag here. Tree chips from local landscapers are not a good idea here - we have lots of black walnut trees in the area.

Thoughts please. Risk no mulch over the winter?

- Lisa