More About Bark Mulch

Hubbard’s Farm carries a variety of high-quality, aromatic bark mulches that will conjure up memories of walks in the New England woods. You will find a mulch variety to suit any yard, garden, or playground application.

Why Mulch?

Mulches are used to help retain moisture, suppress weeds, protect roots, and keep the soil cool, while enhancing the beauty of your gardens. As the mulch on top of your soil decomposes, it will help to improve the quality of your soil.

Dye-Free Mulches

We stock several dye-free mulches including Dark Pine, Pine, 100% Hemlock, Natural Aged Hemlock, Pine, Spruce, and Playground Chips. Some of our dye-free mulches are also organic.

About Colored Mulches

Some of our mulches are dyed. Colored mulches are popular for landscaping purposes. Laboratory studies show that colorants used in mulch are deemed safe for people, animals, and the environment.

“The dyes used in coloring wood mulch are primarily of two types: carbon-based dyes and iron oxide-based dyes. Iron oxide, the most commonly used dye, is simply a compound of iron and oxygen. As the compound oxidizes, iron is released to the soil but is not considered to be toxic. Iron oxide dyes are often used in the floriculture industry to dye flowers. Dyes that are not absorbed by or adsorbed to the wood would come off with contact, especially if the mulch is wet. There are some carbon-based dyes used on mulch. These carbon-based colorants are similar to those used in ink and cosmetics. At this time, there is no evidence that the dyes used to color wood chip mulch are toxic.”*

*UMass Extension Service,Colored Bark Mulch,” Ron Kujawski, https://ag.umass.edu/landscape/fact-sheets/colored-bark-mulch