50150 Cocoa Bean Shell Mulch, 2 Cubic Feet

Had used pecan mulch for our flower planters last year, but the squirrels kept digging in them. Tried this coco mulch & they don’t seem to be as excited about it. Smell is strong when first added. We don’t have dogs so no worry about them eating it. Doesn’t blow away too easily & keeps soil moist.

Many years ago I used to find this at the local big box stores with no problems. However, apparently because careless people let their dogs run around and eat it out of other peoples yards, it is now harder to find. That said, even though I am paying triple of what I used to pay, I don't regret it a bit. I have a very small planting area in the front of my house, which is a covered courtyard. Like I said, it's pretty small. However, after putting the mulch down - I use it more as a cushion for container plants rather than planting directly in the horrible Las Vegas soil – I love it. It looks beautiful and it smells even better. We are currently going through a heat wave and every time I open my front door I get a blast of heat and chocolate. Mmmm! I have ordered bags of cocoa hull mulch from various online vendors, and have received everything from super dried out to damp and moldy. Most had little or no scent, which is one of the attractions of this mulch. This is the first bag that I received that is exactly the way that I remembered. Despite the cost, I highly recommend this mulch. Since we live in such disparate climates throughout the country, naturally, your results may be different from mine. However, since I have used this type of product before, I know what to expect. For my needs, it is absolutely perfect! And no, the chocolate fragrance does not last forever, but it is so worth enjoying while it is there!

I was so happy to find cocoa beans. They smell GREAT and are good for the garden soil. Don’t leave your bag outside because critters think it smells good too! The cost was outrageous though…..I remember years ago when we could buy bags from Brach’s candy for $3 per bag. Those were the days….

I was disappointed that the bag indicated that the cocoa mulch should not be used amidst flowers, but that information was not available when I bought the mulch. The mulch is very lightweight and some of it blows away in the wind within the first few days of application. But after it was watered by our irrigation system, then the cocoa hulls stuck together like a blanket of mulch. It smells great the first week.

I've been using this same exact mulch for a year's, I see people complaining about price. I used to pay $32-34 for these bags and now they $40, no complaints here. Once you have a good crust built up the weeds usually don't take root. I just add a little bit more each year for the color now since I've built the solid base. I have a dog and she cares less about this mulch, to be honest, if she did eat it, that's her deal, not mine, dogs will be dogs, lol. Joe

I started using this type of mulch years ago.....when it was much cheaper. Now it is an outrageous price, but I'm still buying it if that indicates anything. This mulch smells like chocolate (since it comes from a cocoa bean shell), and holds moisture better than any other mulch I've ever used. Sometimes a coating of harmless mold can appear (in humid conditions) but it's beneficial to the plants, and doesn't last long. Last time I purchased this from another source for cheaper, but the shipping price was crazy. So this year i got it from Amazon for about the same price in reverse.....shipping was free, but the mulch was expensive...I guess if you want it, you're going to pay for it one way or the other.

Perfect and smells like chocolate

I used to buy this locally for $6.98/bag. About 5 or 6 years ago it became unavailable; now I can only buy it here for three times the price. Worth it to me even at this ridiculous price. It is a fabulous mulch that enriches the soil as it decays. I have heavy clay all through my yard, so this is a huge plus. It looks prettier than wood mulch and smells like chocolate few the first few weeks. It is easy to spread, soft and without splinters. It makes the garden look inviting. It does not keep either feral or domestic cats out of the garden. They don't seem to care how it feels on their paws. Neither my dog, nor her border collie/lab cousins, nor her puppy friends have ever tried to eat it. People will pay any price when they are addicted to a substance. Clearly this is mine