Mulch: The Natural Solution

Mulch; there are plenty of good reasons to use it in your landscaping. It deters weeds, keeps soil cooler during hot summer days, reduces evaporation, plus adds aesthetic appeal to garden beds. But did you know that not all mulch is created equal? There are a variety of different options available for those who would like to add mulch to their gardens. Today, CLC compares two of them; natural vs coloured mulch.

Natural VS Coloured Mulch

Natural Mulch

Perks:

• Natural mulch uses the entire tree—it is made from chipped trees and branches—therefore no waste product is created after a tree is cut down
• No artificial dyes or questionable additives are added to it—it is a pure 100% tree product
• Natural mulch breaks down over a 1-3 year time period (depending on the thickness of the mulch) releasing important nutrients back into the soil and improving soil health
• The thicker the wood chip used, the longer your natural mulch will last, extending the time period before you need to reapply fresh mulch
• Natural mulch has a pleasant scent

Drawbacks:

• Natural mulch is not uniform in size
• It is often courser, so less pleasant for bare feet.

Coloured Mulch

Perks:

• Coloured mulch comes in a variety of colours, like dyed black, red and brown
• It is made from shredded or ground wood and/or bark, with different thicknesses available

Drawbacks:

• The wood used in coloured mulch is often cheap, waste wood. It comes from pressure treated wood, skids, and construction site waste.
• Due to the material used, when coloured mulch breaks down, it does Not add nutrients back into the soil. Add fertilizer to your list of things to buy…
• The dye used to treat the wood washes off after a short period of time—approximately one month
• Because of the short time period that coloured mulch stays dyed, you need to reapply fresh mulch more often, costing you more money in the long run
• It is nearly impossible to get the dye from coloured mulch out of clothes it comes in contact with
• It takes upwards of a week to wash the dye from hands after handling it without gloves
• The dyes used in coloured mulch are the same products used in cosmetics and the manufacturing industry. While they have not been found to be a threat to humans, pets or the environment, do you really want to add them to your gardens?
• Coloured mulch is usually more expensive than natural mulch
• Coloured mulch smells unpleasant

Now, which mulch is more appealing to you?