#1   Report Post  
Old 30-07-2004, 04:15 PM
Hans L
 
Posts: n/a
Default Mulch

We have a small area next to the house (in the Cleveland, Ohio, region),
where my wife has planted petunias for the second year in a row. It gets
sun part of the day. Last year, the flowers lourished and eventually
covered the entire surface. However, before they had proliferated, one
could see the hardened, dreary-looking soil. So this year, I added mulch.
Looks great.

Now, the flowers did not expand at all this year, and a bush in this area
died rather quickly at the beginning of the summer. A neighbor and my wife
claim that it is the mulch that hampered the growth, and my question is if
this could be the case. It needs to be mentioned that we have had a lot of
rain this year, that there is no slope in this area, that the
humus/soil-cover is rather thin, and that there is clay underneath.

Thanks -- Hans L
  #2   Report Post  
Old 30-07-2004, 04:44 PM
paghat
 
Posts: n/a
Default Mulch

In article , Hans L
wrote:

We have a small area next to the house (in the Cleveland, Ohio, region),
where my wife has planted petunias for the second year in a row. It gets
sun part of the day. Last year, the flowers lourished and eventually
covered the entire surface. However, before they had proliferated, one
could see the hardened, dreary-looking soil. So this year, I added mulch.
Looks great.

Now, the flowers did not expand at all this year, and a bush in this area
died rather quickly at the beginning of the summer. A neighbor and my wife
claim that it is the mulch that hampered the growth, and my question is if
this could be the case. It needs to be mentioned that we have had a lot of
rain this year, that there is no slope in this area, that the
humus/soil-cover is rather thin, and that there is clay underneath.

Thanks -- Hans L


If you used something like heavy straw for winter mulch, it has to be
removed near winter's end or early spring as it smothers stuff that is
trying to grow, & as straw too-slowly decays, it robs the surface soil of
nitrogen. In some cases, an uncomposted bark can also rob the soil of
nitrogen.

But if you used a completely composted manure topcoating for mulch, that
improves the soil & healthful microorganism populations, in addition to
protecting roots of things in winter & encouraging worms to work the soil
a bit. Manure compost would not have stunted or stopped the growth of
anything except seedlings (a pure surface compost tends to be sterile & it
is difficult for seedlings to get started through it, which is why compost
topcoatings suppresses weeds, but not so good if seeds were surface-sown).


I'd look elsewhere for the cause of problems. Unturned compacted soil with
too little organic material in it, plus poorly draining clay soil during
a period of heavy rainfall, would predictably stunt plant growth or even
kill some of things outright.

-paghat the ratgirl

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
Visit the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com
  #3   Report Post  
Old 30-07-2004, 04:44 PM
paghat
 
Posts: n/a
Default Mulch

In article , Hans L
wrote:

We have a small area next to the house (in the Cleveland, Ohio, region),
where my wife has planted petunias for the second year in a row. It gets
sun part of the day. Last year, the flowers lourished and eventually
covered the entire surface. However, before they had proliferated, one
could see the hardened, dreary-looking soil. So this year, I added mulch.
Looks great.

Now, the flowers did not expand at all this year, and a bush in this area
died rather quickly at the beginning of the summer. A neighbor and my wife
claim that it is the mulch that hampered the growth, and my question is if
this could be the case. It needs to be mentioned that we have had a lot of
rain this year, that there is no slope in this area, that the
humus/soil-cover is rather thin, and that there is clay underneath.

Thanks -- Hans L


If you used something like heavy straw for winter mulch, it has to be
removed near winter's end or early spring as it smothers stuff that is
trying to grow, & as straw too-slowly decays, it robs the surface soil of
nitrogen. In some cases, an uncomposted bark can also rob the soil of
nitrogen.

But if you used a completely composted manure topcoating for mulch, that
improves the soil & healthful microorganism populations, in addition to
protecting roots of things in winter & encouraging worms to work the soil
a bit. Manure compost would not have stunted or stopped the growth of
anything except seedlings (a pure surface compost tends to be sterile & it
is difficult for seedlings to get started through it, which is why compost
topcoatings suppresses weeds, but not so good if seeds were surface-sown).


I'd look elsewhere for the cause of problems. Unturned compacted soil with
too little organic material in it, plus poorly draining clay soil during
a period of heavy rainfall, would predictably stunt plant growth or even
kill some of things outright.

-paghat the ratgirl

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
Visit the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com
  #4   Report Post  
Old 30-07-2004, 06:20 PM
Pam - gardengal
 
Posts: n/a
Default Mulch


"paghat" wrote in message
news
In article , Hans L
wrote:

We have a small area next to the house (in the Cleveland, Ohio, region),
where my wife has planted petunias for the second year in a row. It

gets
sun part of the day. Last year, the flowers lourished and eventually
covered the entire surface. However, before they had proliferated, one
could see the hardened, dreary-looking soil. So this year, I added

mulch.
Looks great.

Now, the flowers did not expand at all this year, and a bush in this

area
died rather quickly at the beginning of the summer. A neighbor and my

wife
claim that it is the mulch that hampered the growth, and my question is

if
this could be the case. It needs to be mentioned that we have had a lot

of
rain this year, that there is no slope in this area, that the
humus/soil-cover is rather thin, and that there is clay underneath.

Thanks -- Hans L


If you used something like heavy straw for winter mulch, it has to be
removed near winter's end or early spring as it smothers stuff that is
trying to grow, & as straw too-slowly decays, it robs the surface soil of
nitrogen. In some cases, an uncomposted bark can also rob the soil of
nitrogen.

But if you used a completely composted manure topcoating for mulch, that
improves the soil & healthful microorganism populations, in addition to
protecting roots of things in winter & encouraging worms to work the soil
a bit. Manure compost would not have stunted or stopped the growth of
anything except seedlings (a pure surface compost tends to be sterile & it
is difficult for seedlings to get started through it, which is why compost
topcoatings suppresses weeds, but not so good if seeds were surface-sown).


I'd look elsewhere for the cause of problems. Unturned compacted soil with
too little organic material in it, plus poorly draining clay soil during
a period of heavy rainfall, would predictably stunt plant growth or even
kill some of things outright.


This is entirely correct, however I would also add that the specific type of
mulch can make an impact on the plants' performance. Mulches comprised
primarily of sawdust or very fine bark can reduce the available nitrogen in
the top layer of the soil, which can result in stunted or or less than
optimal growth. This is more likely to be a problem with very shallow rooted
and herbaceous plants like annuals and most perennials rather than larger
and sturdier, woody shrubs and trees with deeper root penetration. Simply
providing additional nitrogen rich fertilizer will offset this or use a
compost mulch in these areas.

Since you indicate a shrub has died off as well, I'd be more inclined to
agree with paggers that too much rainwater combined with the less than ideal
drainage of heavy clay soil is most likely the culprit. This can be a fatal
combination for the majority of plants.

pam - gardengal


  #5   Report Post  
Old 30-07-2004, 06:20 PM
Pam - gardengal
 
Posts: n/a
Default Mulch


"paghat" wrote in message
news
In article , Hans L
wrote:

We have a small area next to the house (in the Cleveland, Ohio, region),
where my wife has planted petunias for the second year in a row. It

gets
sun part of the day. Last year, the flowers lourished and eventually
covered the entire surface. However, before they had proliferated, one
could see the hardened, dreary-looking soil. So this year, I added

mulch.
Looks great.

Now, the flowers did not expand at all this year, and a bush in this

area
died rather quickly at the beginning of the summer. A neighbor and my

wife
claim that it is the mulch that hampered the growth, and my question is

if
this could be the case. It needs to be mentioned that we have had a lot

of
rain this year, that there is no slope in this area, that the
humus/soil-cover is rather thin, and that there is clay underneath.

Thanks -- Hans L


If you used something like heavy straw for winter mulch, it has to be
removed near winter's end or early spring as it smothers stuff that is
trying to grow, & as straw too-slowly decays, it robs the surface soil of
nitrogen. In some cases, an uncomposted bark can also rob the soil of
nitrogen.

But if you used a completely composted manure topcoating for mulch, that
improves the soil & healthful microorganism populations, in addition to
protecting roots of things in winter & encouraging worms to work the soil
a bit. Manure compost would not have stunted or stopped the growth of
anything except seedlings (a pure surface compost tends to be sterile & it
is difficult for seedlings to get started through it, which is why compost
topcoatings suppresses weeds, but not so good if seeds were surface-sown).


I'd look elsewhere for the cause of problems. Unturned compacted soil with
too little organic material in it, plus poorly draining clay soil during
a period of heavy rainfall, would predictably stunt plant growth or even
kill some of things outright.


This is entirely correct, however I would also add that the specific type of
mulch can make an impact on the plants' performance. Mulches comprised
primarily of sawdust or very fine bark can reduce the available nitrogen in
the top layer of the soil, which can result in stunted or or less than
optimal growth. This is more likely to be a problem with very shallow rooted
and herbaceous plants like annuals and most perennials rather than larger
and sturdier, woody shrubs and trees with deeper root penetration. Simply
providing additional nitrogen rich fertilizer will offset this or use a
compost mulch in these areas.

Since you indicate a shrub has died off as well, I'd be more inclined to
agree with paggers that too much rainwater combined with the less than ideal
drainage of heavy clay soil is most likely the culprit. This can be a fatal
combination for the majority of plants.

pam - gardengal




  #6   Report Post  
Old 31-07-2004, 01:20 AM
Hans L
 
Posts: n/a
Default Mulch

On Fri, 30 Jul 2004 16:20:46 GMT, Pam - gardengal wrote:

"paghat" wrote in message
news
In article , Hans L
wrote:

We have a small area next to the house (in the Cleveland, Ohio, region),
where my wife has planted petunias for the second year in a row. It

gets
sun part of the day. Last year, the flowers lourished and eventually
covered the entire surface. However, before they had proliferated, one
could see the hardened, dreary-looking soil. So this year, I added

mulch.
Looks great.

Now, the flowers did not expand at all this year, and a bush in this

area
died rather quickly at the beginning of the summer. A neighbor and my

wife
claim that it is the mulch that hampered the growth, and my question is

if
this could be the case. It needs to be mentioned that we have had a lot

of
rain this year, that there is no slope in this area, that the
humus/soil-cover is rather thin, and that there is clay underneath.

Thanks -- Hans L


If you used something like heavy straw for winter mulch, it has to be
removed near winter's end or early spring as it smothers stuff that is
trying to grow, & as straw too-slowly decays, it robs the surface soil of
nitrogen. In some cases, an uncomposted bark can also rob the soil of
nitrogen.

But if you used a completely composted manure topcoating for mulch, that
improves the soil & healthful microorganism populations, in addition to
protecting roots of things in winter & encouraging worms to work the soil
a bit. Manure compost would not have stunted or stopped the growth of
anything except seedlings (a pure surface compost tends to be sterile & it
is difficult for seedlings to get started through it, which is why compost
topcoatings suppresses weeds, but not so good if seeds were surface-sown).


I'd look elsewhere for the cause of problems. Unturned compacted soil with
too little organic material in it, plus poorly draining clay soil during
a period of heavy rainfall, would predictably stunt plant growth or even
kill some of things outright.


This is entirely correct, however I would also add that the specific type of
mulch can make an impact on the plants' performance. Mulches comprised
primarily of sawdust or very fine bark can reduce the available nitrogen in
the top layer of the soil, which can result in stunted or or less than
optimal growth. This is more likely to be a problem with very shallow rooted
and herbaceous plants like annuals and most perennials rather than larger
and sturdier, woody shrubs and trees with deeper root penetration. Simply
providing additional nitrogen rich fertilizer will offset this or use a
compost mulch in these areas.

Since you indicate a shrub has died off as well, I'd be more inclined to
agree with paggers that too much rainwater combined with the less than ideal
drainage of heavy clay soil is most likely the culprit. This can be a fatal
combination for the majority of plants.

pam - gardengal


Hello paghat the ratgirl & pam - gardengal:

Thank you for your insights. I have two followup questions:

- I added bark mulch because the soil, before the plants covered it,
became dry and hard as rock, looking aweful. The bark mulch (tinted black
in our case) makes the ground look nicer. What else, more beneficial to
the soil, could give the same effect?

- Is there any way to drain a flat area as ours? Digging up the clay and
mix it with sand? Or ...?

Hans L
  #7   Report Post  
Old 31-07-2004, 01:20 AM
Hans L
 
Posts: n/a
Default Mulch

On Fri, 30 Jul 2004 16:20:46 GMT, Pam - gardengal wrote:

"paghat" wrote in message
news
In article , Hans L
wrote:

We have a small area next to the house (in the Cleveland, Ohio, region),
where my wife has planted petunias for the second year in a row. It

gets
sun part of the day. Last year, the flowers lourished and eventually
covered the entire surface. However, before they had proliferated, one
could see the hardened, dreary-looking soil. So this year, I added

mulch.
Looks great.

Now, the flowers did not expand at all this year, and a bush in this

area
died rather quickly at the beginning of the summer. A neighbor and my

wife
claim that it is the mulch that hampered the growth, and my question is

if
this could be the case. It needs to be mentioned that we have had a lot

of
rain this year, that there is no slope in this area, that the
humus/soil-cover is rather thin, and that there is clay underneath.

Thanks -- Hans L


If you used something like heavy straw for winter mulch, it has to be
removed near winter's end or early spring as it smothers stuff that is
trying to grow, & as straw too-slowly decays, it robs the surface soil of
nitrogen. In some cases, an uncomposted bark can also rob the soil of
nitrogen.

But if you used a completely composted manure topcoating for mulch, that
improves the soil & healthful microorganism populations, in addition to
protecting roots of things in winter & encouraging worms to work the soil
a bit. Manure compost would not have stunted or stopped the growth of
anything except seedlings (a pure surface compost tends to be sterile & it
is difficult for seedlings to get started through it, which is why compost
topcoatings suppresses weeds, but not so good if seeds were surface-sown).


I'd look elsewhere for the cause of problems. Unturned compacted soil with
too little organic material in it, plus poorly draining clay soil during
a period of heavy rainfall, would predictably stunt plant growth or even
kill some of things outright.


This is entirely correct, however I would also add that the specific type of
mulch can make an impact on the plants' performance. Mulches comprised
primarily of sawdust or very fine bark can reduce the available nitrogen in
the top layer of the soil, which can result in stunted or or less than
optimal growth. This is more likely to be a problem with very shallow rooted
and herbaceous plants like annuals and most perennials rather than larger
and sturdier, woody shrubs and trees with deeper root penetration. Simply
providing additional nitrogen rich fertilizer will offset this or use a
compost mulch in these areas.

Since you indicate a shrub has died off as well, I'd be more inclined to
agree with paggers that too much rainwater combined with the less than ideal
drainage of heavy clay soil is most likely the culprit. This can be a fatal
combination for the majority of plants.

pam - gardengal


Hello paghat the ratgirl & pam - gardengal:

Thank you for your insights. I have two followup questions:

- I added bark mulch because the soil, before the plants covered it,
became dry and hard as rock, looking aweful. The bark mulch (tinted black
in our case) makes the ground look nicer. What else, more beneficial to
the soil, could give the same effect?

- Is there any way to drain a flat area as ours? Digging up the clay and
mix it with sand? Or ...?

Hans L
  #8   Report Post  
Old 31-07-2004, 02:43 AM
Vox Humana
 
Posts: n/a
Default Mulch


"Hans L" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 30 Jul 2004 16:20:46 GMT, Pam - gardengal wrote:

"paghat" wrote in message
news
In article , Hans L
wrote:

We have a small area next to the house (in the Cleveland, Ohio,

region),
where my wife has planted petunias for the second year in a row. It

gets
sun part of the day. Last year, the flowers lourished and eventually
covered the entire surface. However, before they had proliferated,

one
could see the hardened, dreary-looking soil. So this year, I added

mulch.
Looks great.

Now, the flowers did not expand at all this year, and a bush in this

area
died rather quickly at the beginning of the summer. A neighbor and my

wife
claim that it is the mulch that hampered the growth, and my question

is
if
this could be the case. It needs to be mentioned that we have had a

lot
of
rain this year, that there is no slope in this area, that the
humus/soil-cover is rather thin, and that there is clay underneath.

Thanks -- Hans L

If you used something like heavy straw for winter mulch, it has to be
removed near winter's end or early spring as it smothers stuff that is
trying to grow, & as straw too-slowly decays, it robs the surface soil

of
nitrogen. In some cases, an uncomposted bark can also rob the soil of
nitrogen.

But if you used a completely composted manure topcoating for mulch,

that
improves the soil & healthful microorganism populations, in addition to
protecting roots of things in winter & encouraging worms to work the

soil
a bit. Manure compost would not have stunted or stopped the growth of
anything except seedlings (a pure surface compost tends to be sterile &

it
is difficult for seedlings to get started through it, which is why

compost
topcoatings suppresses weeds, but not so good if seeds were

surface-sown).


I'd look elsewhere for the cause of problems. Unturned compacted soil

with
too little organic material in it, plus poorly draining clay soil

during
a period of heavy rainfall, would predictably stunt plant growth or

even
kill some of things outright.


This is entirely correct, however I would also add that the specific

type of
mulch can make an impact on the plants' performance. Mulches comprised
primarily of sawdust or very fine bark can reduce the available nitrogen

in
the top layer of the soil, which can result in stunted or or less than
optimal growth. This is more likely to be a problem with very shallow

rooted
and herbaceous plants like annuals and most perennials rather than

larger
and sturdier, woody shrubs and trees with deeper root penetration.

Simply
providing additional nitrogen rich fertilizer will offset this or use a
compost mulch in these areas.

Since you indicate a shrub has died off as well, I'd be more inclined to
agree with paggers that too much rainwater combined with the less than

ideal
drainage of heavy clay soil is most likely the culprit. This can be a

fatal
combination for the majority of plants.

pam - gardengal


Hello paghat the ratgirl & pam - gardengal:

Thank you for your insights. I have two followup questions:

- I added bark mulch because the soil, before the plants covered it,
became dry and hard as rock, looking aweful. The bark mulch (tinted black
in our case) makes the ground look nicer. What else, more beneficial to
the soil, could give the same effect?

- Is there any way to drain a flat area as ours? Digging up the clay and
mix it with sand? Or ...?


What is the possibility that the mulch was contaminated? I understand that
some bagged mulches can contain ground-up shipping pallets that are
contaminated with all sorts of chemicals that might have been in containers
that they supported.


  #9   Report Post  
Old 31-07-2004, 02:43 AM
Vox Humana
 
Posts: n/a
Default Mulch


"Hans L" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 30 Jul 2004 16:20:46 GMT, Pam - gardengal wrote:

"paghat" wrote in message
news
In article , Hans L
wrote:

We have a small area next to the house (in the Cleveland, Ohio,

region),
where my wife has planted petunias for the second year in a row. It

gets
sun part of the day. Last year, the flowers lourished and eventually
covered the entire surface. However, before they had proliferated,

one
could see the hardened, dreary-looking soil. So this year, I added

mulch.
Looks great.

Now, the flowers did not expand at all this year, and a bush in this

area
died rather quickly at the beginning of the summer. A neighbor and my

wife
claim that it is the mulch that hampered the growth, and my question

is
if
this could be the case. It needs to be mentioned that we have had a

lot
of
rain this year, that there is no slope in this area, that the
humus/soil-cover is rather thin, and that there is clay underneath.

Thanks -- Hans L

If you used something like heavy straw for winter mulch, it has to be
removed near winter's end or early spring as it smothers stuff that is
trying to grow, & as straw too-slowly decays, it robs the surface soil

of
nitrogen. In some cases, an uncomposted bark can also rob the soil of
nitrogen.

But if you used a completely composted manure topcoating for mulch,

that
improves the soil & healthful microorganism populations, in addition to
protecting roots of things in winter & encouraging worms to work the

soil
a bit. Manure compost would not have stunted or stopped the growth of
anything except seedlings (a pure surface compost tends to be sterile &

it
is difficult for seedlings to get started through it, which is why

compost
topcoatings suppresses weeds, but not so good if seeds were

surface-sown).


I'd look elsewhere for the cause of problems. Unturned compacted soil

with
too little organic material in it, plus poorly draining clay soil

during
a period of heavy rainfall, would predictably stunt plant growth or

even
kill some of things outright.


This is entirely correct, however I would also add that the specific

type of
mulch can make an impact on the plants' performance. Mulches comprised
primarily of sawdust or very fine bark can reduce the available nitrogen

in
the top layer of the soil, which can result in stunted or or less than
optimal growth. This is more likely to be a problem with very shallow

rooted
and herbaceous plants like annuals and most perennials rather than

larger
and sturdier, woody shrubs and trees with deeper root penetration.

Simply
providing additional nitrogen rich fertilizer will offset this or use a
compost mulch in these areas.

Since you indicate a shrub has died off as well, I'd be more inclined to
agree with paggers that too much rainwater combined with the less than

ideal
drainage of heavy clay soil is most likely the culprit. This can be a

fatal
combination for the majority of plants.

pam - gardengal


Hello paghat the ratgirl & pam - gardengal:

Thank you for your insights. I have two followup questions:

- I added bark mulch because the soil, before the plants covered it,
became dry and hard as rock, looking aweful. The bark mulch (tinted black
in our case) makes the ground look nicer. What else, more beneficial to
the soil, could give the same effect?

- Is there any way to drain a flat area as ours? Digging up the clay and
mix it with sand? Or ...?


What is the possibility that the mulch was contaminated? I understand that
some bagged mulches can contain ground-up shipping pallets that are
contaminated with all sorts of chemicals that might have been in containers
that they supported.


  #10   Report Post  
Old 31-07-2004, 02:43 AM
Vox Humana
 
Posts: n/a
Default Mulch


"Hans L" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 30 Jul 2004 16:20:46 GMT, Pam - gardengal wrote:

"paghat" wrote in message
news
In article , Hans L
wrote:

We have a small area next to the house (in the Cleveland, Ohio,

region),
where my wife has planted petunias for the second year in a row. It

gets
sun part of the day. Last year, the flowers lourished and eventually
covered the entire surface. However, before they had proliferated,

one
could see the hardened, dreary-looking soil. So this year, I added

mulch.
Looks great.

Now, the flowers did not expand at all this year, and a bush in this

area
died rather quickly at the beginning of the summer. A neighbor and my

wife
claim that it is the mulch that hampered the growth, and my question

is
if
this could be the case. It needs to be mentioned that we have had a

lot
of
rain this year, that there is no slope in this area, that the
humus/soil-cover is rather thin, and that there is clay underneath.

Thanks -- Hans L

If you used something like heavy straw for winter mulch, it has to be
removed near winter's end or early spring as it smothers stuff that is
trying to grow, & as straw too-slowly decays, it robs the surface soil

of
nitrogen. In some cases, an uncomposted bark can also rob the soil of
nitrogen.

But if you used a completely composted manure topcoating for mulch,

that
improves the soil & healthful microorganism populations, in addition to
protecting roots of things in winter & encouraging worms to work the

soil
a bit. Manure compost would not have stunted or stopped the growth of
anything except seedlings (a pure surface compost tends to be sterile &

it
is difficult for seedlings to get started through it, which is why

compost
topcoatings suppresses weeds, but not so good if seeds were

surface-sown).


I'd look elsewhere for the cause of problems. Unturned compacted soil

with
too little organic material in it, plus poorly draining clay soil

during
a period of heavy rainfall, would predictably stunt plant growth or

even
kill some of things outright.


This is entirely correct, however I would also add that the specific

type of
mulch can make an impact on the plants' performance. Mulches comprised
primarily of sawdust or very fine bark can reduce the available nitrogen

in
the top layer of the soil, which can result in stunted or or less than
optimal growth. This is more likely to be a problem with very shallow

rooted
and herbaceous plants like annuals and most perennials rather than

larger
and sturdier, woody shrubs and trees with deeper root penetration.

Simply
providing additional nitrogen rich fertilizer will offset this or use a
compost mulch in these areas.

Since you indicate a shrub has died off as well, I'd be more inclined to
agree with paggers that too much rainwater combined with the less than

ideal
drainage of heavy clay soil is most likely the culprit. This can be a

fatal
combination for the majority of plants.

pam - gardengal


Hello paghat the ratgirl & pam - gardengal:

Thank you for your insights. I have two followup questions:

- I added bark mulch because the soil, before the plants covered it,
became dry and hard as rock, looking aweful. The bark mulch (tinted black
in our case) makes the ground look nicer. What else, more beneficial to
the soil, could give the same effect?

- Is there any way to drain a flat area as ours? Digging up the clay and
mix it with sand? Or ...?


What is the possibility that the mulch was contaminated? I understand that
some bagged mulches can contain ground-up shipping pallets that are
contaminated with all sorts of chemicals that might have been in containers
that they supported.




  #11   Report Post  
Old 31-07-2004, 03:38 AM
remove munged
 
Posts: n/a
Default Mulch

On Sat, 31 Jul 2004 00:43:58 GMT, "Vox Humana"
wrote:

What is the possibility that the mulch was contaminated? I understand that
some bagged mulches can contain ground-up shipping pallets that are
contaminated with all sorts of chemicals that might have been in containers
that they supported.

Not only contaminated with chemicals, but carrying potential
pathogens from overseas!


  #12   Report Post  
Old 31-07-2004, 04:29 AM
Jim Carlock
 
Posts: n/a
Default Mulch

Home Depot and Lowes are two companies selling mulch
that is treated by CCA. CCA is carcinogenic when exposure
to very tiny amounts occurs over a period of a week or
longer, and when it gets wet can possibly release arsenic gas.
Arsenic gas can is odorless and tasteless and can be
extremely poisonous resulting in loss of life, limbs, etc.

What is CCA ? It is sometimes called pressure treated wood.

Home Depot and Lowes are refusing to label bags of CCA
mulch as such and once it's in your environment, your
property is considered a hazardous waste site by the EPA
and you are expected to clean it up.

This mulch is currently being sold in Florida and possibly
other states, is banned in multiple countries around the
world, is considered toxic waste by the EPA and Home
Depot and Lowes are both refusing to label the product
as having CCA contained within.

For more information:
http://www.origen.net/arsenic.html
http://www.sptimes.com/News/031101/S..._your_ba.shtml
http://www.sptimes.com/News/031101/S...ms__neve.shtml
http://www.sptimes.com/News/031101/S..._rise_ov.shtml

Just want to make sure you are aware. The state of Florida refuses
to correct the problem and there's a problem in other states as well
involving wooden playsets made by CCA (pressure treated) wood.

Home Depot and Lowes are refusing to mark CCA bags of mulch
and are refusing to stop selling such bags. It might be a problem
with other places as well and may not be limited to Home Depot
and Lowes. The State of Florida supposedly makes these wood
chips. If a bolt of lightning were to strike such a pile of mulch,
who knows what would happen?

A 2x6 piece of pressure treated wood has enough arsenic in it
to kill 100 full grown men.

--
Jim Carlock
http://www.microcosmotalk.com/thefacts/cracitus.mp3
http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/01/29/jeb...aughter.drugs/
Post replies to the newsgroup.


"remove munged" wrote in message ...
On Sat, 31 Jul 2004 00:43:58 GMT, "Vox Humana"
wrote:

What is the possibility that the mulch was contaminated? I understand that
some bagged mulches can contain ground-up shipping pallets that are
contaminated with all sorts of chemicals that might have been in containers
that they supported.

Not only contaminated with chemicals, but carrying potential
pathogens from overseas!




  #13   Report Post  
Old 31-07-2004, 04:29 AM
Jim Carlock
 
Posts: n/a
Default Mulch

Home Depot and Lowes are two companies selling mulch
that is treated by CCA. CCA is carcinogenic when exposure
to very tiny amounts occurs over a period of a week or
longer, and when it gets wet can possibly release arsenic gas.
Arsenic gas can is odorless and tasteless and can be
extremely poisonous resulting in loss of life, limbs, etc.

What is CCA ? It is sometimes called pressure treated wood.

Home Depot and Lowes are refusing to label bags of CCA
mulch as such and once it's in your environment, your
property is considered a hazardous waste site by the EPA
and you are expected to clean it up.

This mulch is currently being sold in Florida and possibly
other states, is banned in multiple countries around the
world, is considered toxic waste by the EPA and Home
Depot and Lowes are both refusing to label the product
as having CCA contained within.

For more information:
http://www.origen.net/arsenic.html
http://www.sptimes.com/News/031101/S..._your_ba.shtml
http://www.sptimes.com/News/031101/S...ms__neve.shtml
http://www.sptimes.com/News/031101/S..._rise_ov.shtml

Just want to make sure you are aware. The state of Florida refuses
to correct the problem and there's a problem in other states as well
involving wooden playsets made by CCA (pressure treated) wood.

Home Depot and Lowes are refusing to mark CCA bags of mulch
and are refusing to stop selling such bags. It might be a problem
with other places as well and may not be limited to Home Depot
and Lowes. The State of Florida supposedly makes these wood
chips. If a bolt of lightning were to strike such a pile of mulch,
who knows what would happen?

A 2x6 piece of pressure treated wood has enough arsenic in it
to kill 100 full grown men.

--
Jim Carlock
http://www.microcosmotalk.com/thefacts/cracitus.mp3
http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/01/29/jeb...aughter.drugs/
Post replies to the newsgroup.


"remove munged" wrote in message ...
On Sat, 31 Jul 2004 00:43:58 GMT, "Vox Humana"
wrote:

What is the possibility that the mulch was contaminated? I understand that
some bagged mulches can contain ground-up shipping pallets that are
contaminated with all sorts of chemicals that might have been in containers
that they supported.

Not only contaminated with chemicals, but carrying potential
pathogens from overseas!




  #14   Report Post  
Old 01-08-2004, 06:55 AM
Hans L
 
Posts: n/a
Default Mulch

On Sat, 31 Jul 2004 00:43:58 GMT, Vox Humana wrote:

"Hans L" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 30 Jul 2004 16:20:46 GMT, Pam - gardengal wrote:

"paghat" wrote in message
news In article , Hans L
wrote:

We have a small area next to the house (in the Cleveland, Ohio,

region),
where my wife has planted petunias for the second year in a row. It
gets
sun part of the day. Last year, the flowers lourished and eventually
covered the entire surface. However, before they had proliferated,

one
could see the hardened, dreary-looking soil. So this year, I added
mulch.
Looks great.

Now, the flowers did not expand at all this year, and a bush in this
area
died rather quickly at the beginning of the summer. A neighbor and my
wife
claim that it is the mulch that hampered the growth, and my question

is
if
this could be the case. It needs to be mentioned that we have had a

lot
of
rain this year, that there is no slope in this area, that the
humus/soil-cover is rather thin, and that there is clay underneath.

Thanks -- Hans L

If you used something like heavy straw for winter mulch, it has to be
removed near winter's end or early spring as it smothers stuff that is
trying to grow, & as straw too-slowly decays, it robs the surface soil

of
nitrogen. In some cases, an uncomposted bark can also rob the soil of
nitrogen.

But if you used a completely composted manure topcoating for mulch,

that
improves the soil & healthful microorganism populations, in addition to
protecting roots of things in winter & encouraging worms to work the

soil
a bit. Manure compost would not have stunted or stopped the growth of
anything except seedlings (a pure surface compost tends to be sterile &

it
is difficult for seedlings to get started through it, which is why

compost
topcoatings suppresses weeds, but not so good if seeds were

surface-sown).


I'd look elsewhere for the cause of problems. Unturned compacted soil

with
too little organic material in it, plus poorly draining clay soil

during
a period of heavy rainfall, would predictably stunt plant growth or

even
kill some of things outright.

This is entirely correct, however I would also add that the specific

type of
mulch can make an impact on the plants' performance. Mulches comprised
primarily of sawdust or very fine bark can reduce the available nitrogen

in
the top layer of the soil, which can result in stunted or or less than
optimal growth. This is more likely to be a problem with very shallow

rooted
and herbaceous plants like annuals and most perennials rather than

larger
and sturdier, woody shrubs and trees with deeper root penetration.

Simply
providing additional nitrogen rich fertilizer will offset this or use a
compost mulch in these areas.

Since you indicate a shrub has died off as well, I'd be more inclined to
agree with paggers that too much rainwater combined with the less than

ideal
drainage of heavy clay soil is most likely the culprit. This can be a

fatal
combination for the majority of plants.

pam - gardengal


Hello paghat the ratgirl & pam - gardengal:

Thank you for your insights. I have two followup questions:

- I added bark mulch because the soil, before the plants covered it,
became dry and hard as rock, looking aweful. The bark mulch (tinted black
in our case) makes the ground look nicer. What else, more beneficial to
the soil, could give the same effect?

- Is there any way to drain a flat area as ours? Digging up the clay and
mix it with sand? Or ...?


What is the possibility that the mulch was contaminated? I understand that
some bagged mulches can contain ground-up shipping pallets that are
contaminated with all sorts of chemicals that might have been in containers
that they supported.


Well, I have used it all over, and grass grows pretty well in the bark
mulch I have used.
Hans L
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