[albert]

had a woman question me today about mulch (wasn't purchased from us) someone installed the material ,the next day her plants started to die, and place that the mulch touched the lawn it died, her son also got sick (he was appearently helping the guy put it down) the company that delivered it came out and picked it up the next day ,also she called the county health dept and they visited the site , haven't heard what the problem was yet , anyone had this happen before , I've been selling mulch for over 30 yrs and never had a problem

[TrickyDick]

Wierd. Must've had some nasty stuff in it to kill that fast. That couldn't happen so fast if the mulch was made from some alleopathic tree bark could it?

[Stonehenge]

It's the heat.

We've seen it happen before - especially if the mulch was pulled from the middle of the pile and had been cooking for awhile.

A cool watering the day of installation will usually solve the problem, if not a day later.

As for the person getting sick - did he eat the stuff? Dogs will die from eating compost (I know - one of our client's dogs died doing this), but never heard of someone getting sick from laying mulch. Maybe an exercise allergy?

[sleepy]

I worked at a compost yard for 10 years in california. We did food waste pick up through tub grinding of yard waste. Never got sick from my job. Sounds like a diesel spill at the mulch yard that wasent confined. As far as the kid thats prob. an overt B.S. line from the homeowner to create a UGGGHHHH , lawsuit. imo

[familyguy]

I remember reading an article on mulch a long time ago that talked about the buildup of amonia as mulch composts itself. The heat causes this to occur. The article went on to say that mulch develops this problem occasionally when it has been heated a great deal (center of pile like somone else said) and the amonia build up can kill plants. It said the mulch gets somewhat sticky and can stain sides of houses and to be careful.

Now I have personally never seen this staining or plant killing. I have caught a whiff of decomposition in wet hot mulch but that is the extent. So, that is my 2 cents.

Good luck.

[HRLand]

We had the sme thing happen a few years ago, at one of my neighbors homes. The mulch was steaming when they loaded the truck and there was a very pungent odor for a while. The impatiens and lawn edge turned yellow that same day but no shrubs died and no one became ill from it. I also think the lady was exagerating.

[RootRot]

Originally posted by HRLand
I also think the lady was exagerating.

Hmmm...never had a customer exagerate. I think you misunderstood her, completely.

[VoodooChile]

My supplier claims alcohol is a byproduct of anerobically decomposing Oak mulch, and that in early Spring when the pile has sat all Winter without oxygen, enough alcohol can be produced that the mulch will burn sensitive emerging foliage and run-off and kill turf if watered. I haven't seen this, but the supplier claims some landscapers who use the Oak mulch have had problems with this.

It would be nice to know what kinda of mulch was used, and any strange odors or colors that were noticed.

[NCSULandscaper]

when a mulch pile it not turned periodically it will have a buildup of gases that will kill plants. Ive seen it happen alot with the free mulch people get at the landfill, they grind it and do nothing else with the pile and its guaranteed to kill anything its put around.

[4seasons]

every year our supplier warns everyone to not let the mulch touch the leaves or wait to plant herbacious plants after the mulch cools down. When we pick it up it's steaming and feels like its 120 degrees or more. Just be careful, dump away from the plants and rake to them. any that gets on the leaves wipe it off.
as to the kid getting sick probally just heat exhaustion(sp?)

[GLAN]

I am concerned with "Hot" mulch ever time we use it. Not generaly now, at this time of the season.......Piles never sit long enough......but comes June(ish) or so.

Can easily wind up with hot mulch time to time.

Couple times when the loader digs into a pile and steam billows out of the pile........I will tell them to drop the bucket, back drag the bucket pile of mulch a little, then scoop it back up

[sleepy]

I think if you shovel your mulch (well know) it cools off in the shoveling. If you dump it with a dumper and bobcat it, well yes you will have alot of heat still in the mulch. Ive had piles max out at 250 degrees. Yes they did catch fire. Compost is strange when it goes anerobic and into the chemical break down stage. Any compost over 160 is a chemical breakdown process. 160 is ideal limit for arobic decomposition. Not much is known about the chemical breakdown due to the diversity of the feed lots of compost yards. They dont even really know why they self combust. Its kind of like magnitisum We get it but we just dont know exactly why it works. Nature is complicated we dont know all (yet)!

[Greensmith]

We had two local mulch fires around princeton NJ recently. One house actually caught fire while the lawn guy was there.

[albert]

thanks for all thr replies guys , visited the property today and the woman told me that the mulch was tested for ph and it was 2.8 ,which I don't think the ph was the cause, report did mention anerobic ,which I think has to do with high temperature and decomposing. the damage was confined to flowers ,tulips , dafidills, mountain pinks ,iris and the lawn about 6" out from the mulched beds.

[Mark Oomkes]

What nobody has mentioned is that if the yard did have a fire in the mulch pile from not enough turning, that there is some toxic byproduct from the fire that will kill plants.

Had it happen several years ago by us. Local nursery had a fire in their pile, didn't get the burnt stuff out, sold the mulch, had a bunch of plants die, etc. Spoke with their supplier at the end of the year and discussed this. The nursery was blaming the supplier, but didn't happen to mention the fire. When we mentioned it to the supplier, the light went on. Not sure how that one turned out.

Never had a problem with the steaming mulch before. I've applied in all temps from snow to 90*+ and haven't had an issue. The 90*+ is why we use a sub with a blower truck.