Subject: Re: Cypress trees being felled for mulch!?!

From: [email-masked] (Lrm583)
Date: 28 Mar 1995 09:30:42 -0500

D Swartz writes:

>My father brought an article in the 3/26 Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel to
>my attention today.  It expounded on the amount of cypress mulch being
>used in South Florida.  [my note: I'm sure this gets shipped out of state
>in large amounts too]

Just as a coincidence, I was looking for mulch yesterday, in Nebraska --
far from Florida -- and was surprised to see cypress mulch at the local
drugstore.  Same price as shredded pine mulch.  Something about it
bothered me, and I ended up getting the pine mulch even though I have
always heard that pine mulch is not very good on plants.  

Just thought you would be interested.

By the way, I didn't see anything on the bag except "Cypress Mulch,"
unlike the pine mulch which listed content, coverage, and a lot of other
information.

Lise
[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Chad James Segura)
Date: 28 Mar 1995 19:06:16 GMT

Debbie DeNeese ([email-masked]) wrote:
: My father brought an article in the 3/26 Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel to
: my attention today.  It expounded on the amount of cypress mulch being
: used in South Florida.  [my note: I'm sure this gets shipped out of state
: in large amounts too]  Seems that the mulch was once a byproduct of the

I bought some last year at the local Home Depot in Houston.  There are very
few stands in TX. and La. so I was wondering where it came from and if it
was byproduct stuff.

: production of lumber. Now between 40 to 50% of the cypress tress being
: felled are being used for nothing but mulch. Also the mulch cutters pull
: the tree out stump and all.
: The lumber people have a regulation on how to cut leaving a stump which
: will in most cases regenerate a tree. Recomended substitutes (not as
: pretty) Pine Bark, shredded eucalyptus mulch, Melaleuca (chips and

I've decided that the cypress mulch is pretty ugly after it sits on the
ground for awhile.  It doesn't break up quickly, which some people like.
However, the pieces end up staying large and hard to spread around.  I also
don't see how it can absorb much water or cover much ground with its large
pieces (again, this is hard to spread evenly).

Pine bark looks nice to me, but it floats away during rainstorms.  Also, do
we want to encourage the further planting of pine plantations.  Eucalyptus
is pretty much a pest in the Americas and melaleuca is destroyin the 
Everglades (of course, if this was pest melaleuca we were using then 
fine, but I woulnd't want anyone to plant the stuff just to make mulch)

: shreds), crumb rubber which is ground tires (helps use up old tires but
: does not add organic matter--can be messy to control without edging) and

Rubber sounds like a disgusting mulch.  I use shredded hardwood (will some
one tell me what this is, exactly?) and whatever compost I can make myself.

: last but not least the use of grass clippings, leaves, branches and even
: nut shells. The biggest concern is that the Cypress tree is crucial for
: the preservation of the Glades and its indigenous species. 

Nut shells are also good for keeping cats out of the garden, but is it
readily available?

: CyberDad suggested I get on the net to propose that the State of Florida
: insist that  Cypress bags be labeled as to whether they are byproducts or
: not.  I myself would like to know what is known about the subject here on

It's probably best just not to buy the stuff.  No demand, no supply.  I
wouldn't trust the labeling and it just sets up another bureacracy anyway.
Setting up cypress preserves within existing bureaucracies(sp?) would also 
work. 

: this newsgroup, and if anything is known as to the origin of the
: eucalyptus used to manufacture the mulch now being sold at Home Depot
: (which would be my first choice to change to as I don't have a chipper and
: I don't produce enough yard waste to mulch my newly established garden
: yet).

: I'm appalled to think I might have contributed to the destruction of these
: majestic trees...but look forward to finding out more details on the
: subject in order to make an informed decision...

Hey, don't feel so bad.  Now we know better and will do better next time.
:  Debbie DeNeese                     Email:  [email-masked]

Chad

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From: helen ruth etters <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 30 Mar 1995 14:13:28 -0500

> :  Debbie DeNeese                     Email:  [email-masked]

Well you've alerted some of us who hadn't thought of it, so maybe
you've saved a few trees too.  Thanks

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From: helen ruth etters <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 30 Mar 1995 14:13:28 -0500

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From: [email-masked] (David Lee Vermillion)
Date: 31 Mar 1995 16:47:21 GMT

Not being involved in the forest products industry, or the landscape
business, my best guess would be that no cypress tree is being harvested
solely for mulch.  With cypress boards running in the $2.50 - $3.50 per
bdf, and their slow growth rate as well as the limited range for
production, it doesn't make sense to chop and bag a fully grown tree. The 
mulch is probably a value added product derived from the slabs that are a 
waste problem for the saw mills, just like the pine mulch.  The stuff doesn't 
burn too well, so why not chip, bag, and sell it.  If you like
the cypress mulch, call the manufacturer's 1-800 number and get the info.

David Vermillion
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DAVID LEE VERMILLION