Mulch Question

[JeremyW]

Hello,

This last winter here in Michigan we had a really bad Ice Storm that left tons of broken branches/tree limes down. The city finally got around to picking it all up and mulching it. There is literally a football field size area of Mulched up stuff about fifty feet high. And, if you bring a truck, you can get as much as you like. This sounds like a great deal, but I have some reservations. I am worried that the tree limbs and branches may have already been bad or weak due to bugs and such. So my question is; Would you place this mulch around your house? Should I be cautious that this mulch could be riddled with bugs that could invade my yards and house?

Thanks

 

[Oldmaple]

Insects are not a concern. You will have plenty of them crawling around in the mulch soon enough whether the mulch came from branches infected with bugs and such or solid wood. My concerns are generally from diseased plants being chipped and placed around "like" species (example : cytospora canker infected spruce chipped and placed around spruce trees). Be careful also if using unknown mulch around species susceptible to verticilium wilt (mostly maples in this area).

 

[ch woodchuck]

That's a heap of compost!A good part of that pile has probably reached temps around 140degs.Hot enough to cook ''most ''pathogens,and kill most weed and grass seeds out of existence.I wouldn't worry too much.Might wait till the top few feet have been taken.The deeper stuff will be more composted.

 

[JeremyW]

Thank you for the good info. I think I will go get about ten yards or so.

 

[Raintree]

Also good composting helps eliminate artillery fungus.

 

[ATH]

Only concern with a pile that big...if it is moving really fast and you get some scoops where anaerobic processes have started, that can produce some quite toxic substances. That stuff is buried pretty deep in the pile and a few days of air reaching it will put and end to that. And they will be OK. If you took anaerobic compost and put it right around a tree it could cause problems (kill the tree in short order). If you have that same mulch and put it on a trailer for a week or so before putting it around the trees, you should be fine. It will smell really bad if that is the case....not "compost bad" but "fermented bad" if that makes sense. Like I said...that is only a problem if they get rid of a bunch at once so you end up in the middle of the huge pile where air has not been.

 

[JeremyW]

I went and got about ten yards worth of composted mulch and brought it home. I put a tarp down on my driveway and dumped it there. It smell a little bit but not to bad. I been taking large wheelbarrow loads and placing it around the house as a base layer. When I am done, I will get some better look mulch to place over it.

 

[ATH]

If you didn't notice the fermented smell, you are good to go...can't miss it if it is there.