Warning

[DTrain]

I just got a report from a friend of mine from a news story he read. It seems that the Hershey company is producing a common garden mulch called Cocoa Mulch, it contains the substance theobromine which can be highly toxic to dogs and a number of dogs have died from eating it. The owners should have been smarter than they are but there is no warning on the packaging. It is being sold by Home Depot and many home and garden outlets.

[JohnLloydJones]

I just got a report from a friend of mine from a news story he read. It seems that the Hershey company is producing a common garden mulch called Cocoa Mulch, it contains the substance theobromine which can be highly toxic to dogs and a number of dogs have died from eating it. The owners should have been smarter than they are but there is no warning on the packaging. It is being sold by Home Depot and many home and garden outlets.

 

The mulch sold by Home Depot is claimed to have been steam treated and safe. Personally, I'd stay away from it anyway.

[afrancis]

Thanks to these Boards, I now know how to make a link to this site when possible urban myths arise, of which this is not entirely one:

http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/cocoamulch.asp

 

That being said, as a professional gardener and a chocoholic, I have only used cocoa mulch once. I loved the idea of the smell of chocolate in my garden, but I hated the product. Using it to the depth required (about 2-3"), it matted and got incredibly mouldy, so the 'fragrance' smelled foul really quickly. I think its because the shells are cupped and actually trap the moisture rather than let it percolate through. So, I'd rather use shredded leaf mulch, compost or composted pine mulch instead.

Ailsa

[martySQ]

I used that stuff once 10 years ago when I was looking for a good organic alternative, and I was less than impressed with it. With heavy downpour, it floats off away worse than shredded bark products. I did like the smell for oh, about 15-20 minutes,but at 98 degrees, it soon becomes way too sweet and heady. I didn't like the mold thing either. However, my cocker spaniel we had then never messed with it.