- Cocoa beans are roasted as part of the processing when made into chocolate. The roasting loosens the shells and these are discarded. The mulch is 100 percent organic and contains no fillers. It's simply roasted cocoa beans which smell attractive and provide a deep dark mulch for your landscape. It is sold as cocoa bean mulch, cocoa shell mulch or cocoa hull mulch. The mulch has natural amounts of macro-nutrients -- and contains 3 percent nitrogen, 1 percent phosphorus and 3 percent potassium, the three main nutrients that plants need.
- Cocoa beans are shown to have some fire-retardant capacity, as they hold water well, are weed free -- and, when watered, form a tightly woven crust of organic material. This crust actually repels slugs and snails, as they cannot slide over the rough surface on their soft bellies. Cocoa mulch is dye-free and does not fade. It will even darken with age. The cost is moderate and the mulch doesn't need reapplying as frequently as bark mulches.
- Cocoa mulch does, however, have the propensity to mold. This disadvantage usually occurs in high humidity and warm climates, but the mold is not harmful. This mulch contains theobromine, a naturally occurring toxin, and may be harmful to dogs; dogs may exhibit signs of chocolate poisoning if they ingest the mulch. Symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea, as well as restlessness. The ASPA has no reported cases of any animal deaths attributed to cocoa mulch. If you have an indiscriminately snacking dog, though, you may want to keep him away from the mulch to prevent illness.
- Cocoa mulch is applied to the garden in much the same way as any soil dressing. A 1-inch layer is sufficient once you water it and it meshes together. Planting through the crusty topping of the mulch is possible, but the mulch prevents weeds by meshing together so tightly that weeds can't develop and push through. One bag covers 22 to 24 square feet at an inch in depth. The mulch is also used as a top dressing for potted plants.
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