Still Using Synthetic Fertilizers & Dyed Mulches?
The use of traditional chemical-based fertilizers can pose several dangers to the environment and human health while also eventually rendering the soil lifeless.
Want better results from your plant fertilizers? Or are you just ready to stop contributing to environmental decline? Either way, we strongly recommend that you stop using traditional synthetic fertilizers now.
Issues with synthetics include:
Water pollution - rain runoff harms aquatic life
Soil degradation - kills beneficial microbes and depletes essential nutrients
Poisoning risk - improper handling of toxic chemicals and using them around food crops is dangerous to humans and pets
Chemical dependency - long-term overuse causes plants to rely on constant input, the opposite of sustainability
Greenhouse gas emission - production and application of synthetics exacerbates climate change
Organic compost tea supports sustainable agricultural practices.
Conversely, our organic compost tea offers several benefits over traditional fertilizers for plants and trees:
enhances soil structure and improves water retention, promoting healthier root systems
provides a diverse array of beneficial microorganisms that foster soil health and suppress harmful pathogens
releases nutrients slowly, reducing the risk of nutrient leaching and ensuring long-term plant nourishment
vermicompost production renews used food scraps and litter, removing them from the cycle of waste
Mulch is a wonderful thing. In a landscape setting, it mimics the forest floor that many of our trees are evolved for. Decomposing wood and organic matter release nutrients into the soil, invite air and moisture flow for balance, and it’s made up of repurposed natural materials, yay!
However for aesthetic purposes, instead of organic mulch some homeowners choose dyed mulches often called “red” or “black” mulch. I gotta say I don’t get it… when you choose dyed mulch you lose so many of the benefits mulch provides, it’s not much of a cost-saver (especially in the long term), and it ends up looking like a bad toupee for plants. I guess sometimes folks like things to look “uniform” but come on, we’re talking about living, breathing, plants - not drapes!
My aesthetic opinions aside, dyed mulches are chemically painted and are not even necessarily 100% wood/plant material. Black mulches often incorporate rubber and other synthetics or processed palette wood. These inorganic paints and additives do not decompose, which means they’re not “feeding” plants like proper mulch, and can sometimes actually slowly poison the plants, water, and soils around them. I see some of these manufactured mulches promote “anti-fungal” as a benefit… it’s just not. Bacteria and fungi are an important part of healthy soil life.
That’s enough ranting for today, don’t get me started on mulch volcanoes! Please don’t pile the mulch up the trunks of trees and…. whew ok time for a break! We just love your plants and our planet, have a great day.
Join us in healing the planet. Contact us today for more info or pricing.