My store bought mulch

Last post 28-05-2012 9:56 PM by Clayton. 7 replies.

• 27/05/2012 06:31 PM
  olegunnar20 Location: Joined on: 27 May 2012 Posts: 3	Reply | Contact Recently i have bought a big bag of bark mulch, when i opened the bag i noticed that there was thousands of tiny white mites all over the much inside the bag, so i was just wondering if they were a danger to my veg, and if it was a danger to use on my garden, what do you think ?

• 27/05/2012 06:51 PM	In reply to
  Phot's-Moll Location: The sunny South coast. Joined on: 06 Jan 2007 Posts: 4,540	Reply | Contact  I think you should take it back for a refund or replacement. Whether you think you can do a thing, or think you cannot, you are right.

• 27/05/2012 07:47 PM	In reply to
  olegunnar20 Location: Joined on: 27 May 2012 Posts: 3	Reply | Contact so its definitly too much of a risk to use?

• 27/05/2012 10:47 PM

  In reply to

  Location: Joined on: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 2,376

  Reply | Contact I totally agree with the previous replies.  I must be totally honest here. This sudden craze nationwide, to recycle etc.  OK! there has got to be some good in it, but I do think that some shortcuts take place.  Various mulches, minced up branches and the like.  Much of what I cut down in my tiny garden, goes back into it.  What is marketed as mulch.  I dig it in.  Shrubs and suchlike truly benefit from it.  As far as I know, and understand.  Mulches, as marketed.  Are purely chewed up branches and the like.  Composts on the other hand, are usually, so we are told.  Mountains of all sorts of waste, vegetive, household etc.  The process then includes, intense heating and steralising.  To be honest.  I have found that most, so called composts, are nothjing more than what one expects to find, when emptying the vacuum cleaner.  In your case, my friend.  Go back to B&Q or wherever you bought your mulch, and have a good old moan.  Who knows.  You mighty get a better deal. Might I add.  Don't trust all these super stores etc.  Absolute truth.  My tiny garden had no weeds..  I lost my wife, twenty three months ago.  I redesigned the garden, into a rose garden in rememberance of her.  I spent a small fortune on bags of, sterelised top soil.  Honest.  I have never had so many weeds in the garden.   Mike.

• 28/05/2012 07:49 AM	In reply to
  Pesty Location: At a desk Joined on: 24 Nov 2005 Posts: 324	Reply | Contact The mites are likley to be feeding on decaying organic matter in the compost and probably got into the compost somewher in the supply chain or even when you got it home. Should'nt cause a problem for your plants.     'Trying is the first step to failure' H.J.Simpson

• 28/05/2012 05:47 PM	In reply to
  olegunnar20 Location: Joined on: 27 May 2012 Posts: 3	Reply | Contact Mike, thanks for the lecture, but where was the awnswer to my question?

• 28/05/2012 07:48 PM

  In reply to

  The Hedge Folk Location: Somerset Joined on: 22 Jan 2010 Posts: 663

  Reply | Contact  Hi olegunnar20, Your question is essentially "will an unidentified arthropod harm your veg plants?". Phrased like that, I'm sure you can see how it's not really possible to give an answer. The one thing we know about it is that it is feeding on well decayed plant matter, which indicates, as pesty says, that they are unlikely to attack your living veg. If you recently bought the mulch and aren't happy with it, then it's up to you if you want to go and get a refund. If you can't get a refund and are still are worried about the creatures, I can suggest that you soak the mulch in a tub of water for a week, which will kill off most creepy crawlies. Have fun, Ed www.ashridgetrees.co.uk

• 28/05/2012 09:56 PM	In reply to
  Clayton Location: Berkhamsted Joined on: 27 May 2012 Posts: 9	Reply | Contact I'm not an entomologist but I would suggest that probably a good dose of nature after spreading the mulch will pretty much take care of the creature comforts of the warm and damp store bought bag. Otherwise if uncomfortable just ring the store and they will probably be happy to replace.