Now is a great time to update your Central Florida landscape, flower beds, and gardens with mulch. You take the time to select certain plants, fertilize the grass, and increase the curb appeal of your home, but what about the mulch?
How much do you really think about the mulch you choose? Is it just what is on sale at the big box stores? Style choice? Garden health? How much maintenance is required? Do you know if there are any toxic materials in your mulch?
A review by the University of Washington found that wood mulch is often produces from construction debris, which can contain chemical residues and heavy metals.
As with composts, woody mulch quality is influenced by the source of materials. Mulches created from branches and tree trimmings often contain a diversity of leaves, wood, and bark, which contributes to a highly functional mulch. In contrast, woody mulch made from wood recovered from construction and demolition debris can contain pressure-treated lumber.
In one Florida study, 18 of 22 samples collected from debris processing facilities contained arsenic (from chromated copper arsenate-treated wood) at concentrations greater than the state’s allowable levels.
Similarly, mill wastes that contained formaldehyde and other wood processing residues reduced survival of tree seedlings when used as a mulch.
Linda Chalker-Scott, Washington State University, Puyallup Research and Extension Center (download study here)
Value of Organic mulch
You can find bagged mulch just about anywhere, from the big box stores to the corner convenience and hardware stores. They also may suggest to have the best price, but is it really the best value?
Typically, these types of establishments pre-buy their mulch well before the anticipated season even begins. Which means it was made and bagged months before. To get rid of their old mulch, many stores even put out their old bags that weren’t sold last year. When you purchase this type of mulch, it can already be over 6 months old.
You go through all the work of adding this older mulch to your landscape and it may look good, but in just a few short months or even weeks, it doesn’t look nearly as nice. Why? Because the mulch was old to begin with, the decomposing process was already well underway. So, was it really the great value they made it out to be?
A locally owned and operated landscape material supply store will have fresh mulch at a great price. Since it is available in bulk, it is usually less expensive than the big box store. Instead of being several months old, the mulch is around just a week old. This means your mulch will have a longer lifespan and keep your curb appeal look great longer. It also reduces having to re-mulch as often, saving you time and money.
With a strong reputation of having fresh, quality mulches, Reliable Peat has supplied Florida’s nurseries and residential home owners, for over 35 years. We have both topsoil and gardener’s special organic, along with other soils to suit your needs.
