Gulf Restoration Network on Cypress Mulch

Wal-Mart gained a lot of press after Hurricane Katrina for helping victims of the disaster but it seems that Wal-Mart’s commitment to the area was short-lived. The Gulf Restoration Network, a “network of environmental, social justice, and citizens’ groups and individuals committed to restoring the Gulf of Mexico to an ecologically and biologically sustainable condition,” recently released this video exposing the fact that Wal-Mart and others use old growth cypress forests for mulch. Those trees, the video points out, are not only crucial to the local ecosystem but also help protect the Gulf Coast from disasters like Katrina.

Despite the fact that CEO Lee Scott admits “Environmental loss threatens the health of the natural systems we depend on,” the company continues to sell mulch from old-growth forests. Visit http://healthygulf.org to take action.

Posted by Alex Goldschmidt on Monday, July 16, 2007

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COMMENTS

Are you telling me that no one on this site has anything to say about cypress mulch*?

“People need to realize that what they are using today is a very dear resource,” Kidder said. “Their kids won’t get to see any big stands of cypress, because they’ll all be cut.”

As a Texan I would recommend substituting mesquite for cypress.

Question: Can Mesquite and Cedar chips be used as mulch? I have been offered a couple of truck loads of mesquite chips and sawdust, but am concerned that mesquite might have too much oil to be used as mulch.

Answer: ANY wood chips can be used for mulch, do not incorporate them into the soil or you can cause problems with nutrient deficiencies.

Source

*Cypress chips do not decompose within our lifetime and disrupt water movement in soil into which they have been incorporated so DO NOT TILL CYPRESS CHIPS INTO THE SOIL!! Instead, rake or pull cypress mulch off beds before tilling and re-apply again after planting.

Ken V in Texas
Thursday, July 19 at 06:48 AM

OK, so you people made me go out and find out about cypress mulch in an effort to breathe some life into this thread and you let me down!

As punishment you will now be subjected to another fact I tripped over while researching cypress mulch:

The average daily forage consumption (absolute values) of Arizona jackrabbits ranged from 5.6% to 6.7% of body weight and 5.8% to 6.5% of body weight for antelope jackrabbits.

Take that!:o)

Ken V in Texas
Sunday, July 22 at 03:53 AM

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