Hardwood mulches can be found in a number of custom colours, including purple, yellow, green and blue. On the other hand, the readily available colors at the local garden center are organic, brown, black and red. Hardwood mulches are basically wood chips, composed of timber waste and recycled pallets. Once the timber is shredded and chipped, it’s mixed with water-based, non-toxic dyes and permitted to dry completely. Before adding a hardwood mulch to the garden, apply a nitrogen fertilizer or well-aged compost to the soil to compensate for the nitrogen drawn from the soil as the mulch ages and decomposes.
Natural
An undyed, natural wood mulch is a combination of light beige, tan and brown. However, a natural mulch changes color with age and exposure to sunlight and rain. In a couple of months, it turns into a gray-brown and at a year, it’s totally gray. While some gardeners prefer the natural aging process, others might prefer a stable color, using the mulch for a design element to accent their garden and home.
Brown
To stabilize and keep the brown colour, some manufacturers of mulch products include a dark brown dye to the hardwood chips. The mulch remains brown instead of fading to gray, an advantage when using mulch as an accent color in the landscape. In a woodland or shade garden, the dark browns nicely offset the green foliage of the trees and plants.
Red
Red-dyed hardwood mulches are sometimes utilized as a cheap substitute for shredded redwood bark mulch. The dye used on red mulch is generally a colorant produced from iron oxide. Iron oxide is a plant nutrient. Since the mulch slowly breaks down, it leaches small quantities of iron into the ground, nourishing the plants.
Black
Like other dyed mulches, black mulch is often utilized as a design element in a garden. When utilized in a theater or commercial setting, it might be utilised in conjunction with black rubber mulch. The black hardwood mulch is used round the flowers, trees and shrubs, while the black rubber mulch is used under playground equipment and on paths, offering a consistent appearance throughout the landscape.