Wood Vs. Paper

In the long-standing debate of wood vs. paper here are the facts from our point of view.

WOOD MULCH

• Wood holds more moisture and releases moisture slower.
• At rates as high as 3000lbs per acre wood still allows air down to the seed so it doesn’t die off
• Wood mulches have longer fibers to mesh together and reduce erosion.
• To be effective for erosion control, mulch should be applied at 1500 pounds or more per acre. 1200 pounds per acre is the average application rate, 300 pounds short of the amount for peak performance. At less than 1500 pounds per acre the wood fibers don’t mesh as well and the increased erosion control advantage isn’t realistic. Plus without the increased coverage it washes away and the moisture advantages aren’t there either.
• Wood was developed for highway and large erosion control projects where water is scarce and for projects that are not usually seeded in the ideal growing season. PAPER MULCH
• Paper is less expensive and much more readily available. There are over 40 paper plants making mulch compared to 3 for wood.
• At less then 1500 lbs per acre, paper coats and holds better.
• At over 2500 lbs per acre paper may be detrimental in germination.
• All units can handle more paper per tank than wood and even at this thicker load it’s still less likely to plug.
  COST As far as value here is the math.
• An average 50lb bale of paper is $7.00
• An average 50lb bale of wood is $10.00
• You cover at 1500 lbs per acre. This is heavier than the average but not unrealistic.
• An L90 can hold 300 lbs of wood or 350lbs of paper. Roughly the same as the Finn T90 or the Bowie 800 when applied with a hose reel.
• A tank load of paper mulch would cost $49.00 (7 bales x $7.00) and cover 10,300 sq ft.
• A tank load of wood will cost $60.00 (6 bales x $10.00) and cover 8700 sq ft.
  VALUE That means you could cover an acre in 4.3 tanks at a cost of $210 per acre with paper, and 5 tanks at a cost of $300 per acre with wood. That means you can cover an acre faster with paper and save $90.00
  With the savings you can use soil amendments like:
• A copolymer (Hygel) for long term moisture retention that lasts 2-3 years
• A bio stimulant (Hydrolizer or Biomax) for increased root growth and faster germination
• Or a blend of wood and paper. Even after these additions you may still pocket some of the savings.
  Now lets look at it a different way If you do 5 tanks with paper you could apply 1750 lbs per acre (350 lbs per tank x 5 tanks) and you’ll save $55.00 and cover it in the same time, with the same amount of tank loads.
  Is the wood so much better to overcome the moisture retention and erosion protection of the additional 250 lbs of paper mulch (probably not) not to mention even with the thicker mixtures of paper it still is less likely to plug in any machine on the market, not just liquid agitation machines.

10 years ago the wood mulch manufacturers only sold wood and said paper was a waste of time. It didn’t germinate and lacked moisture retention. The paper mulch manufacturers said wood was to problematic because of plugging and too expensive. Now most of the wood mulches have shortened their fibers to reduce plugging and have a blend of wood /paper; and the paper mulch guys have started to blend wood to increase moisture retention and holding. I think you would agree it’s not as much of an issue as our competitors are saying. With the increased mulch capacity, lower cost and better efficiency of paper or paper wood blends offer, a paper based product probably makes the most sense, both economically and physically.

So, if you’re still sold on wood mulch, the way to minimize plugging is to get the rinse tank. Wood plugging usually occurs between tanks, in the hose reel, jets or hose, not during a load in the jets like they lead you to believe. What happens is you mix and spray the tank, then while you are waiting to refill the next tank the wood in the piping and hose keeps absorbing water and expanding. the water in the lines drains out of the mulch leaving pipes full of a low moisture wood slurry. When you are ready to spray again the wood has swelled to plug the reel or hose. A rinse tank helps you avoid this. When you are done spraying you flip a valve to dump 50 –100 gallons, depending on model, of water into the pump and flush the lines and the turret. Now the wood is so thinned out that the little that is left can’t cause any problems.

Note: In the North most residential applicators use paper at about 1200 lbs per acre. In the far South, Texas, Florida, Arizona and where heat conditions are extreme, wood and paper are about equal in usage. About 1500 lbs – 2000 lbs per acre depending on season.