Mulch

A yr. or so ago I ran across an ad in one of the trade mags about a paint that could be used to spray onto mulch to give it a fresh new look. The color appeared to be of a dark rich brown like the large pine Bark nuggets. Anyone used this before? Results? Thanks!

 

I used it before.<p>It works okay, but it's kinda hard to sell to customers.<p>The color wasn't particularly attractive and the product was messy as *&@#. Color fades quickly.<p>It's a neat concept, but your market is extremely limited.

 

Lazer is right as usual the stuff stinks!!<p>Sell your customer a complete mulch job in <br>early spring before the turf starts to grow so you have the time to apply. Also include<br>a freshen up mini mulch job around the middle of August (when the turf mowing cycles are reduced) so the landscape will<br>look good for all the fall holidays.<p>Fit all your landscape maint. work into the time when turf mowing is not a weekly thing.

 

CLM1, don't completely discount mulch dying in the future. Products are being improved each year. I have had good results with &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bucolor.com/products/mulch.html&quot;&gt;Becker-Underwood Products&lt;/a&gt;.<p>Am experimenting with a good mulch applied bi-yearly, and colorant and Snapshot used on alternate years. Mulch application is so labor intensive, if you can get the same renewal effect with colorant, and weed control with a preemergent, you can make same profit in 1/4th the time, or even charge less and still make good money.<p>Problem with mulch in our area is that the wholesale price has not increased for 15 yrs. Just each year the processors cut more wood into it. The large wood chunks bleach rapidly, whether new mulch or colored. Finer ground mulch with less wood will hold stain color longer than original mulch of same quality.<p>Be aware that colorants will stain concrete. Put some overspray on a foundation 3 years ago to see effect. Even in sunlight, could still see last fall, after 2-1/2 yrs, where it was sprayed. Colorant doesn't hurt or permanently color plants though.<p>----------<br>Jim<br>North central Indiana

 

Have any of you tried that rubber mulch?<br>I take care of a three McDonald's that had it put down about two years ago. Still looks O.K. kind of a purple color though.

 

Lesco has Nu-Mulch a coloring agent.<br>Anytime I mention it the customer turns up<br>there nose at it. Sop we wheel and shovel.<br>

 

The future of mulch applications will the the mulch blower. They are so much faster and allow you to spread it thin if doing a mid-season touch up.<p>For anyone who does a decent amount of mulch, it's time to start planning one for your future.<p>For thought:<br>Hand shears gave way to spin trimmers.<br>Brooms gave way to Back Blowers.<br>Pitchfork & wheelbarrow will give way to mulch blowers.<br>

 

Lazer - we tried a couple of weeks ago. It was a FINN. It worked well, but, contrary to the claims, it only worked with Mulch, not compost, loam, etc. We tried all kinds of stuff, since the dealer was running it with us. 1 drawback though - If you get the smaller machines you need to have a loader on the site to re-load. Maybe in a couple of years if they don't inflate the price it might pay. They have a pretty good chart/calculation for volume necessary to break even. We can hit the volume, but the added costs don't justify purchasing one (yet). <p>----------<br>Phil Grande - Soundview Landscape Supply - http://members.aol.com/slsnursery<br>Ivy League Landscaping - http://members.aol.com/scagrider