The Perils Of Getting Toxic Mulch – And How To Avoid The Pitfalls

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The increasingly-used process of mulching imparts valuable benefits to both soil and plants, and is something that is recommended. In a few regions of the country it comes with a word of caution, though. That is a result of the main ingredient of a popular type of mulch in these parts being a shredded sawmill waste product, hardwood bark. Before cutting the logs, they are debarked, and the bark was once a big problem for the mills.

Offering the bark in the form of mulch was pure genius, but unfortunately the product is not always safe for garden use. The lumber mills pile the bark up high to save lots of space, and with little demand for the mulch in winter the piles get really high. The task is performed with front end loaders that, when driven up on the piles of bark, excessively compress the waste, resulting in a problem for the gardener. To be able to decompose, the waste bark has to be exposed to oxygen across a period of time, which means air has to flow through the pile. When it is excessively compacted there isn’t any air flow, causing the mulch to become extremely hot as it decomposes, even to the point of bursting into flames.

When it heats up, it also triggers the mulch to become toxic, because it can’t release the gas. This may well result in a foul odor, as you dig into the stack, and a bigger problem as you spread it around your plants. Your plants might be burn-damaged by the hot, toxic gas which escapes from the mulch. Surround your plant life with this noxious matter and in a brief space of time they will go from green to brown. Your once green lawn could go an ugly brown should you dump mulch like this upon it. Unfortunately you are going to only find out that the mulch was toxic when you discover the undesirable “browning of the green.”

Both good and bad mulch possess strong, though different, smells when you dig into them, but not everyone is able to tell the difference. Another tip is that bad mulch is a little darker, and if this alerts you to a potential problem you can test it by placing some around a plant that you don’t value too much. Take mulch from much deeper inside the pile for this purpose, not from the outside. If after twenty four hours your plant continues to be fine, then the mulch is probably okay.

It is probably not such a big deal, but it’s preferable to know about it before the time, rather than bumping your head. Going to the hassle of mulching and after that learning that it had ruined your plants may just make you a little unhappy. Stay away from toxic mulch by getting from a place you have faith in and who can give you some type of guarantee or assurance – you do, after all, want to get the benefits of mulching.

In case you liked Free Section 21 Notice, then don’t postpone reading Section 21.

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Topics: Gardening | Comments Off

Tags: garden, Gardening, home, Home Improvement, house

Article Citation
MLA Style Citation:
Brown, David "The Perils Of Getting Toxic Mulch – And How To Avoid The Pitfalls." The Perils Of Getting Toxic Mulch – And How To Avoid The Pitfalls. 9 Feb. 2012. uberarticles.com. 26 Apr 2012 <http://uberarticles.com/gardening/the-perils-of-getting-toxic-mulch-and-how-to-avoid-the-pitfalls/>.

APA Style Citation:
Brown, D (2012, February 9). The Perils Of Getting Toxic Mulch – And How To Avoid The Pitfalls. Retrieved April 26, 2012, from http://uberarticles.com/gardening/the-perils-of-getting-toxic-mulch-and-how-to-avoid-the-pitfalls/

Chicago Style Citation:
Brown, David "The Perils Of Getting Toxic Mulch – And How To Avoid The Pitfalls" uberarticles.com. http://uberarticles.com/gardening/the-perils-of-getting-toxic-mulch-and-how-to-avoid-the-pitfalls/

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