Cocoa Bean Mulch

[spiekera]

A friend of mine told me to try cocoa bean mulch in my flower and rose garden to control weeds. What are some peoples exceriences with it?

[SilenceOfTheClams]

Cocoa bean mulch was a "designer" type of mulch that appeared quite a few years ago. You gardens will carry a chocolate smell for quite awhile which is both good and bad IMO. It's attractive, a bit pricey in comparison, and unfortunately, blows aways if not watered in and tamped, floats away if not tamped, and will get moldy rather quickly. Once mold has taken hold, the mulch clumps together and the white mold gets rather unattractive. The cocoa shells can stick to foliage... another not so enticing prospect. Unlike most mulches, this requires the task of "fluffing" to hold the mold at bay. It's beautiful... it's not.....
Dad was a LOYALIST when it came to this stuff and I'd get bags of it for a surprise for him. I started using it in my gardens and found other mulches equal the weed control with less maintenance. You may want to give it your OWN evaluation by using it in a small garden and see what it does for you. I know I enjoyed the soft pathway of cocoa mulch but after awhile, finally abandoned using it. I give it 7 out of 10 stars....... as at the end of the year, it tills into the soil as a really nice amendment however I did NOT see any difference in pest control with it...

[gardenlady]

it does smell delicious. but it is very pricy. maybe using it in pots and containers as a top dressing....