[captaincal]

An earlier thread spoke about alternative mulches,

Black Mulch - Black Forest
Black Mulch - Cocoa Beans.
Black Mulch - ??? Is there another one I missed.

I've seen a few locations where the mulch has remained a deep
black. Almost wet looking. It seems the color doesn't change
when it dries out.

The black forest mulch that I've seen doesn't retain the
deep black color when it dries. Turns a bit brown and
could be mistaken as more Pine related.

I've never seen cocoa beens but have heard that they're
black as well.

Black forest is not expensive. Cheaper than hemlock
or cedar. Pretty good stuff even if it fades a bit. Still has
insects, yadda yadda

[GLAN]

Wet look?

Only thing I have seen that resembles a "wet look" is a painted rubber mulch......another use for old tires. Apparently they are ground up into what looks like gravel of a 3/8 - 3/4 inch size.

Another interesting product is colored stone.......Well not realy stone........it's actualy concrete with a powder type paint on it and all it needs is a couple hours in the sun and the coloring won't come off.

Wood product mulches come in it's natural form as well as dyed coloring......the dyed colored mulch tend to hold color longer.

[HardDaysKnight]

I can't imagine any mulch keeping it's original shade
and not drying out. I did have a client years ago that had
a bed he mulched himself that had a very rich, dk. brown almost
black hue and it was cocoanut peel. I'll bet it has been covered by traditional mulch by now.
BEWARE all landscapers. I just skipped through a local
free advertrising weekly paper we get and I have placed
ADs in it in the past. There is a company boasting about their
Blue, Orange, Red, Black, and any other color can be made as
a special order. We will soon see purple and whatever else
people can dream of and pay for. There should be laws protecting
others from visual trauma. It's coming to your area soon.

[agla]

Cocoa bean shells are very nice and hold their color for a long time. The problems are the expense, the blow very easily if they dry at all, and I have heard their may be a problem with toxicity to dogs if they eat it. It does have an almost wet looking sheen and a nice fine texture - very pleasing to look at and pops the plants nicely. I have seen it used more in perennial beds than anywhere else. It is nothing new, I remember my father using it 30 years ago or more.

[dan deutekom]

When I was young Cocoa bean shells where available and used in this area. What I remember most about them is the sickening sweet smell that they had on hot humid days. I don't see it around here anymore.

[Stonehenge]

Agla's right on about the toxicity - cocoa bean hulls have the same ingredient chocolate does, and can do some damage to dogs.

As for colored mulch - HDK, sounds like your market is slow to get this - I've seen aqua blue mulch around for years. Always at a supplier's yard, but thankfully never in a landscape bed. The color lasts for awhile - several years in the beds, several days on your hands.

[bcx400]

The other black mulch that isn't used too often (thankfully) is Earthlife, also called Earthmate, and appropriately, Earthdeath. This sewage-sludge product was very popular in the 80's and 90's. It seems to have disappeared.

[VoodooChile]

Anyone heard of cocca beans killing plants?

A good client called this weekend after mulching over existing bark mulch with cocca beans, to say her plants were dying. I won't see the situation until Thursday, so who knows...

There are many ways to kill a plant, but this thread got me wondering.

[spiderlily]

Did somebody say purple mulch? I actually think it works here. It is a restaurant, the Cedarburg Bistro. The color is a perfect match for the trim on the Victorian.

[HardDaysKnight]

I have to say that does look pretty cool.
It was hard to admit though.

[Stonehenge]

As long as the legs on the employees were also dyed purple, and arms dyed mustard yellow, I'm all for it.... I think a mulch that in time matched the roof would also look nice.

As for cocoa bean hulls killing plants - haven't heard anything like that before. I've heard of bark mulch getting really hot prior from the decay process, just prior to spreading, and the dissipating heat making the plantings wilt, but I wouldn't think cocoa hulls could do that.

[Nebraska]

I can see the ads now.

"Custom colored mulch to match your trim."