Landscaper used dyed mulch

[Anonymous]

Any suggestions about what to do? I did not specify this time, however in the past I've asked him to use regular mulch. I heard that this stuff can actually be harmful for plants.
Thinking of having it removed. It is a half acre lot, no easy task.

[Anonymous]

It’s not harmful to the plants, the color is just unnecessary and it’s more expensive than regular mulch. It will fade out eventually. Just make sure to insist they don’t use it again.

[Anonymous]

it's fine it fades

[Anonymous]

If you’re talking about black mulch, it’s dyed with carbon not some sort of chemical dye.

[Anonymous]

Oh god it’s so tacky. I would be mad.

Probably just leave it to fade or maybe I’d ask for a thin layer on top?

[Anonymous]

"I did not specify this time"

This is now a YOU problem.

[Anonymous]

Is it harmful(?), because I think our newly laid mulch is also dyed. Too late now I guess.

[Anonymous]

Wouldn't mulch attract termites? it's wood

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any suggestions about what to do? I did not specify this time, however in the past I've asked him to use regular mulch. I heard that this stuff can actually be harmful for plants.
Thinking of having it removed. It is a half acre lot, no easy task.

It's not harmful to plants--most mulch you see out there is dyed even if you don't realize it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you’re talking about black mulch, it’s dyed with carbon not some sort of chemical dye.

And where does carbon come from? Carbon black is a by-product of burning fossil fuels...it's essentially soot. Which I would not want applied to my yard.

[Anonymous]

I heard that the reason they a pushing the tacky died mulch is that they are using all sorts of scrap wood (old construction wood including decking) to make the mulch along with the conventional bark. If they don't dye it, it would not look uniform. It is also not as good for the garden as the bark mulch. But I hate the dyes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"I did not specify this time"

This is now a YOU problem.

I am not sure. The dyed mulch is not conventional. Plus there are several colors of dyed mulch. If you plan on using dyed mulch for a client, you should ask which color they would like.

[Anonymous]

No problem at all. It will fade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you’re talking about black mulch, it’s dyed with carbon not some sort of chemical dye.

And where does carbon come from? Carbon black is a by-product of burning fossil fuels...it's essentially soot. Which I would not want applied to my yard.

Have you never seen a campfire? It's carbon. Trees are not fossil fuels.

As one PP said, it's not the mulch dye that's the problem, but the type of cheaper/discard wood underneath the dye that poses the problem.



http://downtoearthgardenclub.org/2016/02/are-colored-mulches-safe/

We may be asking the wrong question when we put the emphasis on the colorant. The problem with colored mulches is that often they are made of scrap wood. This is actually the most dangerous aspect when dealing with them. While recycling wood from old pallets, fence posts and demolition and construction products might seem like a sound ecological principle, much of it is treated or has become contaminated with chemicals. Pallets especially are subject to all sorts of exposure from the materials stacked on them or from the environment in which they are stored. Pallets can be exposed to everything from gasoline to a myriad of unknown chemicals. Treated lumber can contain creosote and pressure treated lumber is preserved with chromated copper arsenate.
...
This type of recycled wood is used for coloring because, beside the fact that it is cheap and easily obtainable, it is dry and will absorb the dyes. Wood chips and bark are more difficult to color. These more natural wood products are more attractive than recycled wood so they are more likely to be left in their natural state. The recycled wood chips are dyed to make them not only more attractive but more marketable.

... Black mulch is colored with carbon black. Carbon black is the result of incomplete combustion. Again, it is pigment that has been used extensively in inks and paints and is deemed safe for products that come in contact with food. It is essentially the equivalent of putting charcoal in the soil. Basically, studies have shown that the dyes have no detrimental effect on plants or soil.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn’t worry about it because it will fade. IMHO, nothing is worse than the red dye mulch.