For Peet's Sake

April is that magical time in every gardener's life where plans are made, nurseries are scoured, and horticultural dreams abound.  We wake each day, praying for just the right mix of warm temperatures, tepid rain and enough sunshine to prod the plants into a photosynthetic frenzy.  We step into our gardens with renewed vigor, shaking off the long winter and taking deep, fortifying breaths, realizing that the very air is charged with possibility.  This is the year that our gardens will be epic.

The next thing I--like most of my peers--do is hit up my garden supply wholesalers in search of the latest, greatest ideas that the botanically advanced minds of our time have come up with: new products to make my garden look its best.  I mean, really, it's a win/win situation: I "discover" wonderful new products, which give their creators exposure, while I get to claim the results as my own.

This year, I've zeroed in on a new type of mulch called "Sweet Peet."  Have you heard of it?  According to the brochure, it's 100% organic, made from "composted ingredients harvested from local farming operations."  It works as both a mulch and a soil conditioner because it's made with farm manure (but heated to a temperature high enough to kill the seeds in it and the offensive odor).  It adds organic matter to soil, and aids water retention while smothering weeds, like any mulch would.  Producers of Sweet Peet claim it also conditions the soil and reduces nitrogen-borrowing when tilled in around root zones, and "contains only virgin wood products, farm manure and plant fibers."  Its color derives from naturally occurring tannins which are baked in during composting, giving it a natural, dark color (so no harsh dyes are added to the product or your soil).

The makers of this product also claim that it benefits all plantings, as opposed to other types of mulch like cedar, pine, and bark by-products, which tend to benefit acid-loving plants.  Creators claim it's useful in "existing acid soils, further aggravated by sulfur emissions and acid rain."

I can't place my stamp of approval on it yet because I haven't tried it, but I am preparing my yard for it now and hope to get it down by next month.  One potential problem is cost.  It can be as much as twice as expensive as traditional mulch (depending on the area you live in).  But when you factor in the cost of soil conditioners, which you can supposedly cut out if using Sweet Peet, it becomes a better value.

Anyone who has experience with this product is welcome to comment.  I'd love to get some feedback from readers!  In the meantime, I'm going to try it out.  I will report on my findings within the next few months.  Let's hope it hits the sweet spot!