We have converted part of our front yard to an English country garden with the help of an environmentally friendly landscape designer. She has planted a bunch of native, non-invasive, pollinator-friendly perennials. Now that the planting is finished, I’m installing a soaker system that we are supposed to cover with soil and mulch.
The designer, Judy, has said we should use Coast of Maine Enriching Mulch ($15/bag locally), and not use the mulches available at a fraction of the price at Home Depot, for instance, Scotts Earthgro ($4/bag). She insists that the dyes in ordinary mulches are harmful.
I’m skeptical. My Googling has discovered that some cheap mulches have been found to contain construction waste, including pressure-treated lumber with toxic chemicals in it. But the Scotts Earthgro package specifically says that it does not contain construction materials and the manufacturer states that its dyes are non-toxic to plants and animals.
We’ll only need a few bags, and buying the expensive stuff won’t break us, but I just don’t think it will really make any difference, either. My wife feels differently.
Anyone have any experience or reliable info about this issue? Cites appreciated.
I use it in all my flower beds and have no issues.
Does your designer get a kickback or something?
There are differences in mulch. We have a place here that sells bulk mulch. You bring a pick-up, pay the price(cheap) and dig your own. What it turns out to be is removal from old landscaping and trash. We declined.
Another option might be to ask Judy if there is a local landscaping supplier whose product she feels comfortable with. In my area, there are two places that have a variety of mulches, in giant heaps in their yard, that do not use dyes, some of which are advertised as organic. They sell some by the bag; others are by volume and may require a friend with a pick-up or open trailer for a small load.
I’d say no to the mulch if you’re planting prairie type perennials rather than woodland perennials. I think most mulch is too water retentive for native plants. But to get it started I’d use coconut husks or coir based mulch. I’m in Michigan.
Sorry, I should have mentioned that we are on the North Shore of Boston. Not prairie perennials. And since our designer specified mulch, that’s what we’re doing.
$15/bag of mulch is ridiculous. You can get a decent quality mulch that will “enrich” the soil for around $3.50 to an upper limit of $7 for a typical 1.5 cubic foot bag. If you need to use a lot of it the cost really adds up.
I use shredded or finely chopped wood or bark mulch, generally cypress or similar hardwood. I used to be able to get a product called “mini pine fines”, which was chopped-up pine bark. Over a season or two such mulch will break down and improve soil tilth.
I avoid dyed mulch, which looks artificial and it seems a good idea to avoid whatever chemicals make up the dye. Rubber mulch is a definite no (who wants to look at and smell that stuff?).
I’d say thanks but no thanks to the “designer” and get an affordable mulch that’ll work just as well and be as environmentally safe as the high-priced stuff. Incidentally, having an irrigation soaker setup buried under mulch sounds like a recipe for overwatering, unless you’re careful to continually check moisture at least several inches down into the soil to make sure it’s not getting soggy. I also find having only “native, non-invasive” perennials to be unnecessarily limiting but that’s a personal choice.
The best mulch is made by chainsawing apart people who sell or recommend $15/bag mulch then using their blood, mostly unused brains, and bones to enrich your soil.
That’s piracy. Next thing she’ll be selling you special windmills to drive away evil spirits and cleanse the toxins from your soil. Woo should be fatal to practitioners, not to common sense.
I used peanut hull mulch when I first planted. I liked the neutral color. It just seemed so natural and a reuse of something that could be a problem.
Guess what happened?
As it was, a few peanuts and pieces were left over in the mulch. Man the squirrels hollered “Whoo-hoo!” we live here now!
And it smelled like peanut butter and a touch of squirrel poop after watering.
After two years, I dug that stuff out.
15 years and I still find bits of peanut hull. It takes forever to break down.
High thinkers oughta come up with use for that stuff.
This is the best advice here. That’s what we do too- just regular old undyed hardwood mulch or maybe the cedar mulch. It’s cheap, has no additives, and readily breaks down in a fairly short time period.
This is the stuff we typically get. $3.67 for 2 cubic feet.
I’ll add to the “Buy normal brand undyed mulch” voices. Bags of shredded hardwood or a small dumpload if you need that much.
The primary reason why don’t use dyed mulch isn’t toxins but because it tends to look shoddy as it ages and fades and you need to regularly reapply to keep the color fresh.
We went to the local garden center (which sells the expensive stuff) and asked about their range of bagged mulches. We ended up buying several 2-lb bags of undyed pine mulch for $7 each. I’ll be returning the dyed Earthgro to Home Depot.
