My mother bought bags of Earthgro wood chip mulch dyed brown and red at Home Depot and spread it on top of the soil surrounding her plants a couple years ago. I noticed the plants growth have remain stunted, so I went online to read about this mulch. There are some people saying these wood chips are sourced from recycled wood and may contain toxic chemicals.
I raked up the mulch and didn't find much life underneath it either (except for some spiders). I'm going to replace the area with compost. But now I have no clue what to do with this ugly mulch. I'd like to compost it, but hesitate due to the possible toxicity in the wood. Wouldn't that deter beneficial organisms from breaking it down? And even if it broke down, I'd be spreading that compost back in the garden, re-introducing the toxic chemicals... right? Is my only safe option to throw it away in the recycling bin and have it be someone else's problem? Then I'd feel guilty. Ahh!
Please advise... Thanks.
- A newbie gardener
