The increasingly-used technique of mulching imparts valuable benefits to both soil and plants, and is something that is encouraged. Nevertheless, in certain regions you do need to be careful. This is a result of the main ingredient of a widely used type of mulch in these parts being a shredded sawmill waste product, hardwood bark. The sawmills had complications disposing of the waste bark which resulted from the procedure of denuding the logs before sawing them.<\/p>\n
The lumber mills are now able to get rid of the bark as mulch, but there’s still a problem. The lumber mills stack the bark up high to save space, and with little demand for the mulch in winter the piles get really high. The risk for your back garden arises from the mulch getting compacted too tightly by the front end loaders having to drive up onto the heaps. In order to decompose, the waste bark has to be exposed to oxygen throughout a period of time, which means air has to flow through the pile. When it is too compacted there’s no air flow, causing the mulch to become extremely hot as it decomposes, even to the point of bursting into flames.<\/p>\n
The mulch becomes toxic on account of the build-up of the hot gases which cannot escape. Digging into the mulch and distributing it releases a terrible stink and also creates a danger to your plants. The pent-up gas inside the mulch is emitted, which can burn your plants. Spreading this product around your plants could cause them to turn brown in as little as few minutes. Your once verdant lawn could go an ugly brown any time you dump mulch like this onto it. You might be totally unsuspecting, and only be informed that the mulch was bad when you discover the damage.<\/p>\n
Unhealthy mulch carries a strong odor once you get down to it in the pile, but so does the good mulch, and the odor is different, but you may not be able to tell the difference. It may be somewhat darker in color, so if you suspect a problem, take a couple of shovels full, and set them around your least important plant, and see what happens. While doing this ensure that you take mulch from nearer the center than the surface of the pile. When nothing has happened to the plants for more than 24 hours, the mulch should be fine.<\/p>\n