That free mulch from the city killed my garden beds last spring

I thought I was being smart and eco-friendly. Called up the city's yard waste recycling center in Portland, they said come grab all the free wood chips you want. So I loaded up my truck with a few yards, spread it thick over my veggie beds. Problem is, I didn't ask what kind of wood it was. Turns out it was mostly black walnut chips from a big tree removal. That stuff has juglone in it, which is basically poison for tomatoes, peppers, and a bunch of other plants. By June everything was yellow and stunted. Had to pull out all the mulch and replace it with cedar chips I bought from a nursery for like $80. Anyone else run into bad mulch from a free source or got a tip for how to test what kind of wood you're getting?

2 comments

2 Comments

sage_rodriguez2d ago

I had the same thing happen with free wood chips from an arborist in Austin last year, but with a different problem. They dumped a load of chipped up oleander and privet that was full of sap and seeds, and it actually sprouted weeds all through my soil. What worked for me was asking the city or the arborist to text me a photo of the pile before I drove over. That way I could spot any thick dark stuff or green leaves that looked like a bad mix. Also learned the hard way to keep it in a separate bin for a month first, just to see if anything weird starts growing out of it.

jessel352d ago

Honestly, why even bother asking what kind of wood it is when free mulch from the city is usually just mixed yard waste anyway? Most plants can handle a little juglone if you let the chips age for a few months before using them, and paying $80 for cedar seems like a waste of money. @sage_rodriguez, texting for a photo is smart but that still won't tell you if the pile has been sitting long enough to break down toxic stuff.

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