Invasive melaleuca tree makes great but underused mulch
February 21st, 2008, 7:53 pm Hobby Shops
It has been marketed commercially since 1983 for that purpose, and experts had predicted that it would replace the bags of native cypress on store shelves.
Today, though, consumers can hardly find the melaleuca mulch, industry officials say. Most people still opt for the native cypress, a practice that hurts Florida’s natural forests. The state had about 808 million cypress trees in 1987, but only 487 million in 2005.
“People say there’s nowhere to get melaleuca mulch,” said Donn Barclay, president of the Osceola County Master Gardener program, which uses sales of the mulch to support its efforts.Polk County and Marion County extension services as well as some Lowe’s in South Florida, the West Coast and in Inverness also sell melaleuca mulch.
Educating home gardeners
Barclay is on a mission to educate as many people and businesses as possible about it, but so far, he’s had little success in getting the masses on board.
“Not many people know the benefits,” he said.
The major benefits are twofold: It saves native cypress forests from being cut down, and it takes advantage of the non-native melaleuca which has cost theSouth Florida Water Management District and other agencies $30 million for a 15-year control effort.
Forestry Resources Inc., makers of the brand “FloriMulch,” introduced the product in 1983, but it’s still hardly available in Central Florida.
“I don’t think too many people know about this yet,” said Michael Glasheen, who operates the garden center at the Osceola Garden Center inSt. Cloud. “I was interested in it.”
The store’s business manager, though, said that keeping the mulch in stock would mean spending more money and manpower because retailers must order it a week ahead and pick it up themselves from the Osceola extension service. The only other option would be to order it directly, something even the company admits is expensive.
“This is very inconvenient for us,” said Dee Boylan, business manager at the Osceola Garden Center. “Being a business, we look for convenience. I hate to say that, but. . .”
Forestry Resources officials say that so far the shipping costs have slowed the sales outside of South Florida but hope to arrive at solutions soon.
“We’re working on it, believe me,” said Tom Conroy, head of outside sales for the company, adding that Lee and Collier counties have begun using the mulch.
Jennifer Welshans, an Osceola County extension agent, said there’s a bit of frustration in trying to educate the public on a beneficial alternative like melaleuca mulch, only to be ignored or not have it available.
“You wonder why they wouldn’t keep it,” she said of large retailers who have had a few pallets in the past that sold out quickly.
No extra costs
The mulch costs about the same as other mulch, but Glasheen said cost is rarely driving consumer choice. Personal preference of a type or color seems to win out, he said. He has samples of the melaleuca mulch now and is considering stocking it.
To mitigate shipping costs, Forestry Resources said ordering 18 pallets — a truckload — is best.
Osceola County officials hope the Osceola Garden Center and other local gardening centers will do it, banking on consumer education to drive the demand. Buyers who come to the extension service’s twice-annual plant sales often ask where they can get melaleuca mulch, and Barclay wants to be able to give them a list of local outlets — something he can’t do now.
The next Master Gardener Plant Sale where it will be most widely available is April 4 and 5 at Osceola Heritage Park inKissimmee.
Kumari Kelly can be reached at kkelly@orlandosentinel.com or 407-931-5933.
KUMARI KELLY/ORLANDO SENTINEL PHOTO: Osceola County extension agent Jennifer Welshans checks over herbs at the extension service display garden which is filled with melaleuca mulch. KUMARI KELLY/ORLANDO SENTINEL
More articles
Tags: amp, conroy, gardenin, lace, marioRelated posts
