Mulch can retain moisture in the soil and help control weeds, which means you don’t have to spend time weeding or watering.
When it comes to colored mulch, that adds a new and exciting design twist to your garden. Many people think mulch is an effective way to keep their garden looking great.
However, that answer gets a bit more complicated with dyed mulch, such as the black variety. So, can you use black mulch for vegetable gardening?
Manufacturers typically dye black mulch with carbon. Carbon by itself isn’t harmful, but other additives might be.
Manufacturers also dye mulch using plastic material, meaning they won’t decompose like regular mulch. Mulch that doesn’t decompose will eventually run dry of nutrients and sometimes contain poisons.
There is a chance that black mulch may not be appropriate for your garden. In the rest of this article, we will dig through other tips regarding dyed mulch products.
Understanding How Black Mulch is Bad for Your Garden
The actual dying process does not typically affect the longevity of your plants. Black mulch has just as much potential as regular mulch to enrich the soil and encourage young plants to grow.
The problem comes from the organic matter used in the dyed mulch.
Recycled wood chips are a big part of the process of creating this dyed mulch. While recycling materials are suitable, those materials come may come from construction work.
Gardeners use this “waste wood” because they are dry, so they eagerly absorb any wet materials given to it. The problem being that construction-grade wood sometimes contains toxic chemicals.
If you decide to purchase dyed mulch, be sure you understand where the material’s source. If shopping on Amazon, check the product description.
Be especially concerned if they use CCA-treated wood, which can lift the arsenic level of your soil, killing your entire vegetable garden.
Which is Better? – Red or Black Mulch?
What is the short answer: neither. The dyeing process of mulch is not harmful to your plants. All forms of dying in this field are typically through natural means:
- Black mulch dyes with carbon (typically charcoal)
- Red mulch dyes from iron oxide (iron and oxygen)
- Other pigments are through vegetable-based means
You should feel safe to ask your company of choice about their process. Most likely, your company of choice will go through the standard procedure.
Alternatives You Can Use To Colored Mulch
If you want to avoid the whole “colored mulch” issue entirely, we don’t blame you. To address this gap, we plan on listing out a few alternatives to dyed mulch.
Black Plastic
- Earlier and higher yields even though there will be variations from year to year.
- This mulch provides excellent weed contol.
- Plastic much is great to use with an irrigation system.
- It is great for ultimate light blockage.
- Reduces hoeing and cultivation.
Black plastic is a unique combination of ease-of-use and unusual design. It’s like rolling out a black welcome mat for your plants. It also reduces the amount of weeding and hoeing you have to do.
If you are considering black plastic, check out the Grower’s Solution option. This is also an excellent option for people who have an irrigation system.
Be aware you will need to be careful with watering, as black plastic mulches raise soil temperatures and aren’t water permeable.
Bark Mulch
- Organic and Sustainable Douglas Fir Bark
- 100% natural and organic
- Highly absorbent and ideal for orchids
- Great for use in floral & craft projects
- Not heat treated or baked
Shredded bark is often a mulch due to its excellency in moisture absorption. That makes it just as suitable at absorbing other nutrients.
As bark maintains nutrient systems well, you can grow more giant vegetables and flowers quickly.
If you would like to try some out, consider Super Moss’s four-quart bag.
Organic Mulch
- Highest quality nitrogen source that is easy and safe to apply to flowers, shrubs, and gardens.
- Urea Nitrogen 46-0-0 provides safe and vigorous green growth of crops.
- Resealable packing allows for safe storage for multiple uses.
- Urea Nitrogen produces larger crops and flowe
Organic mulch can include bark mulch but also extends to quality all of its own. They also make organic compost, so be sure that you buy the right thing.
Other popular forms of shredded bark tree mulch include the following:
- Pine straw
- Straw mulch
- Orchid bark mulch
- Coco chips/mulch
- Cedar chips
Organic mulch is going to rob the soil of nitrogen. If you plan on using any form of organic or bark mulch, be sure to place down a fertilizer rich in nitrogen.
Urea offers a nitrogen-rich fertilizer with a resealable package for long-term use . Wood mulch is great; be sure to supplement it.
Final Thoughts
This article doesn’t seek to turn you off of dyed mulches. They can be an excellent addition to your garden under the right circumstances.
Like all gardening products, there is a right way and a wrong way to do things. In this case, the wrong way comes from when companies source their wood from old construction sites.
The whole “reduce, reuse, recycle” ideal works as long as it doesn’t end up killing your garden.
For additional gardening tips, check out this next article on the best gardening gloves for brambles. If you plan on having a diverse garden, you’ll need something durable. Thanks for reading.
