Cocoa Shell Mulch
Cocoa shell mulch is an organic product made from the rinsed shells of cocoa beans.
It also creates a garden with a mild chocolate aroma.
However, it's this very scent that causes problems for dogs and some other pets.
Cocoa shell mulch is harmful to dogs, cats and any other animals for whom chocolate is poisonous.
Take your pet to the vet if you suspect ingestion of any amount of the mulch. It contains small quantities of a naturally occurring chemical, theobromine, made by the cacao tree.
Pets are attracted to the aroma and taste of chocolate. And that can include recently used cocoa shell mulch. If eaten in sufficient quantity by your pet, this substance could cause death.
For over 30 years, the gardeners at the Hershey Gardens, in Hershey PA (the home of Hershey's Chocolate) have been using the cocoa shells after the beans have been removed. They use the mulch on rose beds and as a soil amendment for beds of flowers.
How's that for a testimonial!
The Benefits of Using This Mulch
Cocoa mulch is considered by some as the perfect mulch for your garden because of its landscaping qualities, flexible use, and pleasing scent.
The shells break down slowly. They contain about 2.5% nitrogen, 1% phosphate and 3% potassium. Auburn University Soil Testing Laboratory research discovered the shells to be high in specific conductance, soluble salts, phosphorous, potassium and magnesium, while low in pH (acidic), nitrogen and calcium.
If you like to use mulches that add some color to your gardens, cocoa bean mulch has a dark brown color that darkens even more after exposed to the weather.
That means you'll have a garden that looks great and smells great.
But please remember to protect your pets. If you have a dog or a cat, consider using another mulch.
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