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MNeagle
3rd September 2011, 02:11 PM
Am going to add some cocoa bean shell mulch to some front beds. When we went to the self-serve pick-up area, we discovered the bags have been stored in the open.

So, some of the bags were wet & had what looks like mold inside. We dug through the pile to find the most bags w/ as little damage/mold as possible.

So now I have my projects for this cooler weather.

Question: obviously I'll try not to disturb the moldy areas & discard it. Should the rest of it be o.k. to install as is?

Thanks.

Dogman
3rd September 2011, 02:23 PM
?? the mold should not hurt, it will all get wet and moldy anyway when you use it outside! (if for outside)

Edit: Try and get a discount on the moldy stuff, even if (in my opinion) there is nothing wrong with it!

MNeagle
3rd September 2011, 02:31 PM
Really, it won't spread to the rest of it?

Dogman
3rd September 2011, 02:33 PM
Really, it won't spread to the rest of it?Your mulch will mold from the bottom up when it is in your beds, that is normal. Using the moldy mulch the top surface will dry out and poof the mold on top will go away.

So Imho there is nothing wrong using the moldy mulch v/s clean, in less than a week or so it will all look the same!

skid
3rd September 2011, 08:51 PM
Dogman is right. Tell them you'll dispose of the mouldy stuff for free:)

Celtic Rogue
4th September 2011, 02:44 AM
watch out if you or the neighbors have dogs and cats. Apparently they eat it because it smells good... but then they get sick.

Chocolate and other products made from cacao beans — e.g., cocoa mulch — contain substances toxic to certain animals, including both dogs and cats. And the main culprit is indeed theobromine[/URL], a caffeine-like chemical which acts as a mild diuretic and stimulant in human beings but is poisonous to animals less well equipped to metabolize it. Cocoa mulch, which consists mainly of cacao bean shells, contains a higher concentration of theobromine than chocolate processed for human consumption. Dogs are attracted to the scent and in [URL="http://urbanlegends.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6501051%3Fordinalpos=1%26itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntr ez.Pubmed.Pubmed%5FResultsPanel.Pubmed%5FDefaultRe portPanel.Pubmed%5FRVDocSum"]documented cases (http://chemistry.about.com/library/weekly/aa090301a.htm) have eaten the stuff, leading to vomiting, diarrhea, trembling, seizures and, in rare instances, death. While it's equally toxic to cats, veterinarians say they are less likely to ingest cocoa products and therefore less at risk.
If you suspect your dog may have eaten cocoa mulch, the ASPCA recommends contacting your veterinarian immediately or calling the Animal Poison Control Center at 1-888-426-4435 for expert advice.

Neuro
4th September 2011, 03:53 AM
Mould in earth is natural, but using cocoa bean hull mulch in anything but tropical climes, shouldn't be. What is the actual benefit?

MNeagle
9th September 2011, 12:39 PM
Well shoot. After laying landscape fabric around some of the hostas, & 6 or so bags of the cocoa hull mulch down, I spied "Do Not Lay On Landscape Fabric."

Nice.

Am going to continue to lay the mulch right into the beds, w/o the fabric. Am going to leave my work w/ the fabric as is for an experiment I guess.

zap
9th September 2011, 07:51 PM
LOL MN, It never hurts to read the directions first? Let us know how it turns out.

Dogman
9th September 2011, 07:55 PM
Well shoot. After laying landscape fabric around some of the hostas, & 6 or so bags of the cocoa hull mulch down, I spied "Do Not Lay On Landscape Fabric."

Nice.

Am going to continue to lay the mulch right into the beds, w/o the fabric. Am going to leave my work w/ the fabric as is for an experiment I guess.


And I always thought it was a male only thing and saying "When all else fails , read the instructions"! :o


;D