DYED MULCH
Brown, red and black mulches

One of the latest crazes in Pennsylvania landscapes is dyed mulch. Brown, red and black are the most commonly used colors. More and more landscape clients are requesting dyed mulches. Why?

REGULAR vs. DYED MULCH
Regular shredded mulch is less expensive (30% to 40% cheaper) but fades to a gray color after just one or two months in the sun. Colored-mulches hold their color throughout the year, and often into the next year, with minimal color loss. This provides better value to the landscaping client.
  
HOW IS MULCH DYED?
Regular shredded mulch is loaded into a hopper on a large, trailer mounted, mulch dyeing machine, like the one seen in the photo below. Liquid colorant from 55-gallon drums was mixed with water and sprayed on the mulch as it passed through the machine. The brown colored mulch then travels up a conveyor belt to a stockpile.
  

In this photo you can see the mulch dyeing process:

1. Regular mulch is stockpiled to the rear of the machine.
2. A bucket loader dumps regular mulch into the hopper.
3. Colorant is mixed with water and sprayed onto the mulch.
4. Dyed mulch travels up a conveyor onto a stockpile.

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• How mulch is made