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.
Making use of the bark to produce mulch was a handy solution for the lumber yards, but it's not perfect. As a space-saving strategy, the bark is heaped into piles, which can get very high in winter when demand is low. The project is done with front end loaders that, when driven up on the piles of bark, excessively compress the waste, resulting in a problem for the gardener. The bark material will not decompose unless it's supplied with oxygen, and time, which is achieved by air passing through it. When it's overly compacted there is no 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."
You can't easily discern bad mulch by the smell, because even though it has a strong smell when you dig into it, so does good mulch, and it's not that dissimilar. It could be somewhat darker in color, so if you suspect a problem, take a couple of shovels full, and place them around your least important plant, and see what happens. Anytime doing this make certain you take mulch from nearer the center than the surface of the pile. If after twenty four hours your plant is still fine, then the mulch may well be okay.
This situation probably isn't that significant of a problem, but when it happens to you, you probably would have liked to know about it. Going to the bother of mulching and then learning that it had ruined your plants may just make you a little unhappy. Now that you've been informed about undesirable mulch, you can still get all the benefits without the pain by getting your mulch from a source that can assure you they have taken the correct actions to avoid it.
Making use of the bark to produce mulch was a handy solution for the lumber yards, but it's not perfect. As a space-saving strategy, the bark is heaped into piles, which can get very high in winter when demand is low. The project is done with front end loaders that, when driven up on the piles of bark, excessively compress the waste, resulting in a problem for the gardener. The bark material will not decompose unless it's supplied with oxygen, and time, which is achieved by air passing through it. When it's overly compacted there is no 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."
You can't easily discern bad mulch by the smell, because even though it has a strong smell when you dig into it, so does good mulch, and it's not that dissimilar. It could be somewhat darker in color, so if you suspect a problem, take a couple of shovels full, and place them around your least important plant, and see what happens. Anytime doing this make certain you take mulch from nearer the center than the surface of the pile. If after twenty four hours your plant is still fine, then the mulch may well be okay.
This situation probably isn't that significant of a problem, but when it happens to you, you probably would have liked to know about it. Going to the bother of mulching and then learning that it had ruined your plants may just make you a little unhappy. Now that you've been informed about undesirable mulch, you can still get all the benefits without the pain by getting your mulch from a source that can assure you they have taken the correct actions to avoid it.
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