​Hot Weather Mulch Colorant Tips

It's the hottest part of the year and that means some mulch producers are making mistakes when it comes to storing their colorant. Here's how you can prevent these mistakes and get the biggest bang for your buck.

The biggest rule to follow is the colorant should not be exposed to direct sunlight, especially black colorant. Ideally, it should be kept indoors prior to application.

Heat will cause evaporation, eventually hardening the colorant along the side of the tote. That hardened material could fall into the tote the next time it is used, clogging pump lines and colorant nozzles. Also, heat promotes settling of material.

“As with winter freezing, summer heat can make the colorant more challenging to mix," says Susan Krieg, Area Sales Specialist.

Krieg offers these tips on warm-weather storage:

• Store colorant indoors.
• ​Be sure to use up a partial tote as soon as you can. It is best to use up a partial tote, especially during extreme weather, hot or cold.​​
  
• If it cannot be held indoors, keep it out of direct sunlight. 
  • ​That includes partial totes not emptied during production. Move the tote to a shaded area or inside as soon as production is done for the day.​
    

​When hot weather is at its brutal peak, mixing the mulch colorant may feel a little different. But with great care and a few simple tricks, you can have great success.