The majority of our landscaping is against the house, which puts us in a bit of a predicament because termites like the warm, moist environment from piles of mulch. Everything we read (google termites and mulch, and you’ll find all sorts of delightful studies) warned against putting wood mulch against the foundation of the house. Dad also cautioned against using mulch near the house, as the time he used mulch for landscaping he and mom ended up with a termite infestation.
So with that in mind, we started looking for other options, including trying to find wood mulch that was less susceptible to termites. I had heard that cypress mulch was a natural insect and termite repellent. However, according the the National Wildlife Federation, “immature cypress trees have not yet developed the rot- and insect-repellent qualities valued by gardeners. That means that most cypress mulch is plain old wood chips, and researchers say wood chips are far from a gardener’s best option.” Furthermore, using cypress mulch isn’t particularly sustainable because so many mature cypress trees along the Gulf Coast have been turned into mulch (Hurricane Katrina also caused major destruction to the cypress forests).
We kept searching though and began exploring synthetic mulching materials. We looked into recycled rubber mulch, but it seemed really expensive and we weren’t sure we could purchase it in Charleston. Another product we discovered was Textraw, a “synthetic pine straw made from recycled polypropylene, which does not absorb water or chemicals. It recycles easily, from bottle scrap, carpet backing, fiber and yarn.” The product is warrantied for 4 years, although many sites say it will last up to 7 or 8 years, and it resists fading and is very low maintenance (just “fluff” every once in a while). Daniel did some digging and even found a landscape and mulch company that carried the product in Charleston. Textraw seemed like a really good option for us (and the termite inspector confirmed this).
On one of my lunch breaks, I headed out to Southern Landscape Supply to see the product in real life. Unfortunately, the company stopped carrying the product at their store because it wasn’t selling well due to the higher price (they are still a distributor). However, they still had five garbage bags full from a landscaping show. So, for $10, I ended up with the remainder of the Textraw!
Here’s one of the pictures. Up (really) close you can tell it’s not real pine straw, but from a distance, no one will know.
I’ll keep you posted with how it holds up.
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