​Weighing Mulch Colorant for Accuracy

One of the best investments you can make to improve the efficiency of your mulch coloring operation is to buy a scale.

Weighing mulch colorant will help you accurately determine the color usage rate. Otherwise, you risk applying too much or too little mulch colorant.

Don't let this happen to you.

Recently, a mulch producer bought a competing colorant and put the same settings on the mulch coloring system as he would have with an identical amount of Colorbiotics colorant.

There are differences in densities between products, and the system was pumping a pound more of mulch colorant per yard than was necessary. A lab test showed the color strength of the competing mulch colorant was 28 percent weaker than Colorbiotics colorant.

The producer thought he was saving 20 cents per yard, but in reality, he was losing 90 cents per yard.

Tips for accurately weighing mulch colorant:

• Look for a weatherproof platform scale with a capacity of 5,000 pounds.
• Zero the scale anytime a new tote is put on it.
• Check scale accuracy by weighing the same person on each corner and in the middle of the scale. The weight should be identical at each point.
• Have scales professionally calibrated one or two times a year — or immediately if you believe the scale is off.