Why Should You Not Use Gold Mulch?

Gold Mulch Composition

• Like other dyed mulches, most gold mulch often originates from recycled, shredded pallets. Always confirm the source of any wood mulch with the dealer or manufacturer. Because of its source, gold mulch consists of shredded hardwoods with no bark. Because it is so coarse, it does not break down like other types of wood mulches and adds little or no nutritional value to the soil. However, this is also true of other common dyed or enhanced mulch colors like red or black, so you may want to exclude any artificially colored mulch from your garden or landscaping.

Compaction

• Due to their composition, colored mulches tend to compact more than other types of wood-based mulches such as pine bark or non-wood mulches. Regular cultivation of the mulched areas can alleviate the compaction and allow soil aeration. This also requires expending additional effort on maintenance, another reason to think twice about using gold mulch.

Fading

• Exposure to sunlight and weather eventually causes gold mulch to fade. It may gray out, leaving you with a drab accent color rather than the one you installed. Due to this tendency, you may have to replenish the mulch far more often, spending additional time and money for maintenance. Certain types of gold mulch are certified as fade-resistant, but that does not equal non-fading.

Alternatives

• Instead of gold or other color-enhanced mulch, consider a shredded hardwood mulch, which originates from saw mills and includes hardwood tree bark. The hardwood remnants compost for at least six months before screening and shredding. Hardwood remnants composting more than six months become darker, so you make want to ask a dealer for a naturally lighter-colored mulch. If you do want to use colored mulch, only purchase products certified by the Mulch and Soil Council, which develops industry product standards.