[Arid_gardener] Re: playground chips

[Veronica Broadley]

Nick,
I can't speak to your scorpion concerns as despite being an Arizona  
native and living in my home in Gilbert for nearly ten years, I have  
yet to see a scorpion outside of captivity.

We have used play mulch, however, and I thought I'd share my  
experience. The mulch we used was from a playsystem company, meant  
specifically for playmulch, and fairly small in size/screen. It did a  
wonderful job of holding in moisture in the lower layer, as a mulch  
is favored for, enough that it mildewed in the winter. The upper  
layer was a harbor for weed seeds and dust. It poked holes in the  
weed barrier cloth we put down before installing the mulch, which  
made the bermuda grass very happy. It stuck to the kids' socks, got  
in shoes, waistbands, hair, and skin (in the form of splinters). The  
cats thought it was a dandy litterbox.

Eventually we moved the play area onto the grass. I've used the  
leftover mulch as actual mulch in other areas of the garden, but  
weeds seem to really adore this particular kind or size of mulch, so  
it's been more of a hindrance than a help.

Veronica

> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 5
> Date: Sat, 6 May 2006 09:53:45 -0500
> From: "Gray, Nicholas" <Nicholas.Gray at Wrigley.com>
> Subject: [Arid_gardener] Scorpion Issues
> To: <Arid_gardener at Ag.arizona.edu>
> Message-ID:
> 	<6F8B5D5134A9A845BC5EF6C25C0407C028FD58 at USGDCEVS1.wwy.wrigley.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> Hi There,
>
>   I am currently interested in using playground chips in my back yard
> around an entire play system.  What type of chances am I taking  
> with my
> children and unwanted insects? (Scorpions)  The local Surprise City  
> uses
> the same thing.
>
> Regards,
>
> Nick Gray