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.
These bags seem to get heavier every year I get older. They most often have holes or tears in the bags at the nursery centers and the spillage then fills up the back of our car. Often I find these bags filled with some form of mildew as a result of moisture content once I open them up.
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
