Cocoa Shell Mulch
March 22, 2012
Did you know that the outer covering of the cacao bean, called the cocoa shell, can be used for mulch? Gardeners everywhere are raving about it.
Cocoa shell mulch is also known as the Sunshine of Africa. It's actually just a byproduct of chocolate industries coming from the cocoa beans. The shell contains 2.5% Nitrogen, 1% Phosphate, and 3% Potash with a pH of 5.8.
Cocoa shell mulch serves as all-purpose mulch for professional gardeners and amateur gardeners alike. It can be utilized by landscapers and horticulturists, as well. It is great as decorative mulch due to its nice-looking deep copper color. Its rich color pleasantly contrasts with the vibrant green color of plants. And, it smells great too!
Cocoa shell mulch is ideal in getting rid of weeds, and it is excellent in keeping the garden beds and borders moist. It may also be used in the protection of the ground from frost. Cocoa shell mulch has been found to contain fertilizers that slowly release with time. They tend to break down as time passes by, and gets incorporated with the soil. That being said, it enhances the soil's structure.
Furthermore, it could also keep slugs and snails at bay. After spreading onto the ground and watering it once or twice, a crust will be formed that binds the mulch together. Such crust will help repel snails and slugs. If left undisturbed, cocoa shell mulch will form a sticky mat below its surface that can serve as a protective layer.
Cocoa shell mulch is an extremely useful material, and it is very convenient to spread. It could be used as a pleasant-looking covering for borders and beds. Plus, you only shell out a little amount of money for it. It has grown in popularity and gets advertised by gardening experts on radio and television. You could even come across it if you read gardening books and magazines.
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this may need further documentation to publish as fact…Although the mulch had NO warnings printed on the label, upon further investigation on the company’s web site, this product is HIGHLY toxic to dogs and cats.
Cocoa Mulch is manufactured by Hershey’s,among others and they claim that “It is true that studies have shown that 50% of the dogs that eat Cocoa Mulch can suffer physical harm to a variety of degrees (depending on each individual dog). However, 98% of all dogs won’t eat it.”
Cocoa Mulch, which is sold by Home Depot, Foreman’s Garden Supply and other Garden supply stores contains a lethal ingredient called ‘Theobromine’. It is lethal to dogs and cats. It smells like chocolate and it really attracts dogs. They will ingest this stuff and die. Several deaths already occurred.
Theobromine is in all chocolate, especially dark or baker’s chocolate which is toxic to dogs. Cocoa bean shells contain potentially toxic quantities of theobromine, a xanthine compound similar in effects to caffeine and theophylline. A dog that ingested a lethal quantity of garden mulch made from cacao bean shells developed severe convulsions and died 17 hours later. Analysis of the stomach contents and the ingested cacao bean shells revealed the presence of lethal amounts of theobromine.