Consider Mulch Blocks
Posted: Thursday, October 09, 2008
by Arlene Wright-Correll
http://www.learn-america.com
There are a lot of benefits to old age and one of them is getting older and wiser and that usually comes from learning life's lessons in the "trial and terror" school of learning.
There are also a lot of disadvantages and for me it is no longer being able to open a jar of pickles, a bottle of champagne or the safety cap on many of my medications to say nothing of hauling around those bags of mulch I need to buy every gardening season.
As I continually try to think green and consider alternatives to help our environment I realize that these bags of mulch are usually made from timber by products and the manufacturer and me the buyer, may be contributing to deforestation.
I do not care for the colored mulch, though pretty, they often contain chemical dyes that are added to create the color and those that don't, though they look pretty spiffy once they are spread around, quickly loose their color and look gray and washed out.
With all that in mind I am now considering my next purchase of mulch to be in the form of mulch blocks which are made from coir which is 100% biodegradable, natural, organic coconut husk fiber and chips. My research shows these blocks contain lignin which is a natural polymer resistant to decay. I have also discovered that coir's absorption properties repel snails.
The mulch block is much lighter and easier to carry and will expand to contain the same amount of mulch as in a 2 cubic foot bag of loose mulch and that is right up this old gardener's alley! It also has high air porosity which is good for better aeration and will retain its color much longer. Not only does the mulch block last longer it retains water longer which is an important issue as we experience more higher temperatures each growing season from global warming. For some reason the water evaporation is less with the mulch block ingredients than with plain wood mulch and it wets and rewets faster.
It is supposed to keep the soil cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. I like the idea that the coir mulch block is a renewable resource because it is a by product of the coconut and since peat moss is extracted from environmentally sensitive swamp areas this makes coco peat or coir a proven alternative to those of us who are concerned about these things.
Yes, I know my next order of mulch will be these new mulch blocks.
"Tread the Earth Lightly" and in the meantime May your day be filled with Peace, Light and Love,
Author's note: This article was originally written for GreenThumbArticles.com
This Article has been viewed 187 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
Top-level comments on this article: (5 total)Arlene, you are a treasure chest of great information. I am unfamiliar with these coir blocks. Who handles them and are they expensive? I was raised on a cotton farm and all we ever used was regular topsoil and composted cow manure for our gardens. We didn't know anything about mulch in those days. I onced lived for a number of years in North Carolina peanut and tobacco country where many peanut processors gave away their peanut hulls which made a wonderful mulch and did not decay fast. But I am no longer in any close proximity to peanut hulls.Joel,Just google the words, "coir mulch blocks" and you will get all kinds of info as to where to buy them and how much they cost. Then I would check my local gardening centers to compare prices.Hope this helps.“Tread the Earth Lightly” and in the meantime… May your day be filled with…
Peace, Light and Love,
hi arlene,this was a well written and interesting article. the mulch block sounds like a good product, and you were a good spokesperson.thanks for sharing,best regards,sue thomAs I said I am always looking for easier ways to garden and the bags of mulch really are getting heavier and heavier for me. Thanks for reading my article.
Hi Arlene, great article. I work for a Forest By-Products, so you peaked my interest with your title :-) All of our mulches are made from bi-products- shavings from trees that have already been cut for big need lumber like houses and such. We are 100% organic and I love the fact that the mulch and soils we make go right back into the ground. It's great working in this industry because I can see that there is -0- waist. A lot of the mulch is used for fuel as well. It's great you found another product to help assist the environment in a friendly way. We need all the help we can get! Thanks for sharing this secret with us :-) Blessings to you!Theresa, thank you for reading my article and for taking the time to share you comments. All of us need to be doing all we can for our planet.“Tread the Earth Lightly” and in the meantime… May your day be filled with…
Peace, Light and Love,
Good advice for folks who support "green" and conservation. Thanks for your post!Thanks Walter for you good comment about green and conservation.. we all need to be "doing more with less" as Buckminister Fuller once said.“Tread the Earth Lightly” and in the meantime… May your day be filled with…
Peace, Light and Love,
I didn't know there was such a thing as mulch blocks. I will look for them next spring--I'm convinced. Thanks!Thanks Lynn for reading my article. Yes, I was delighted to discover them also and wanted to share the news with other gardeners.“Tread the Earth Lightly” and in the meantime… May your day be filled with…
Peace, Light and Love,
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