I ordered compost (they had it listed) from a local/respected garden center/landscaping company recently. Today, they dumped a pile of triple-shredded mulch on my driveway. Is this an error? Can triple-shredded mulch be used as compost for vegetable growing in by beds? Should I call them about it?
Triple shredded mulch vs compost
- Thread starter Ablor
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All compost is, is composted mulch. Triple shredded mulch is still mulch and has not been composted. Mulch is used on the soil surface whereas compost is used in the soil. Compost is biologically active meaning that it has many soil microbes breaking down organic matter whereas mulch has very few. Triple shredded mulch will compost faster but mulch is still mulch. It can still be used in soil but I wouldn't add more than 30% per volume of soil. I would call them. Compost costs considerably more than mulch
Your response makes sense. When I saw the pile, I thought - this looks wrong, but I don't know enough about this and they do, so perhaps I should research it. Everything I read says the same thing you do - and it adds up. The mulch wouldn't be composted and wouldn't contain any green matter, etc. The price reflects what you said too - the invoice they left showed a per unit price that was half of what they quoted me for the compost. So it does look like an error. I will have to call them tomorrow - I'm just bracing for what I expect the response to be - "this is what we have and that's it". They made a mistake and it's not like they'll want to come back and scoop up the mulch. Ughh...
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Put it on top of the soil and do not dig it in. By the end of this season benefits will accrue. Add more on top next year. Come back with worries about mold. You fears will be assuaged.
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Yes, as @DirtMechanic stated but I would also spray the mulch down about twice per month with a molasses spray @2 oz per gallon of water to speed up the decomposition process
Spread the mulch out. Dig holes through the mulch where you want to grow. Get some potting soil, and put your plants in.
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I can imagine they might not be eager to come round with a shovel and put it all back in the truck 
If there is more than you can use immediately you could try what I do with such stuff. I turn old bags inside out so they are black side out and fill them, water a bit, then stack them somewhere where they get the sun and warm up. Warm and humid it turns into compost pretty quickly.
If there is more than you can use immediately you could try what I do with such stuff. I turn old bags inside out so they are black side out and fill them, water a bit, then stack them somewhere where they get the sun and warm up. Warm and humid it turns into compost pretty quickly.
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No, you got cheated because the native wood mulch will lock up all the nitrogen out of anything you put it on, Wood has to have nitrogen to break down and so when you put it into your beds it will suck up your nitrogen trying to decompose. Mulch keeps weeds from growing because it robs all the nitrogen out of the soil and the weeds starve. Compost on the other hand would've brought in nitrogen and fed your beds. All you can do now is add a few handfuls of slow-release nitrogen to the mulch to help it break down. Sorry, you got ripped off.