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FAQ
General
Colored
Wood Mulch FAQ
Topsoil FAQ
Compost FAQ
Aggregate FAQ
General
You mentioned “honest measure.” What do
you mean by that?
Honest measure is an ideal that we hold
dear at J.A. Rutter Co. Our certified weight
scale brings an unquestionable awareness
of the true amount loaded into each truck.
You, the customer, get NOTHING less than
your money’s worth with our honest measure
and we guarantee it. For example, if you
pay for 2 cubic yards of mulch, you can
be absolutely sure that you will go home
with nothing less than 2 cubic yards. There
are companies out there that short-change
their customers as a matter of practice.
It’s easy to offer “specials” like free
delivery when you’re saving money by compromising
quantity. Our certified weight scales ensure
that our customers get exactly what their
hard-earned money paid for.
Why weigh to determine
accuracy?
Weight is unquestionable while volume can
be subjective. Why? The certified scales
reduce the human error factor. In addition,
operator techniques vary causing variance
in the compaction of the material in the
bucket.
What if it rains the night before? Am I
paying for water?
No. Weights are taken at the beginning of
each day and are updated according to changing
weather conditions throughout the day.
What does a cubic
yard of material look like?
A cubic yard of material would fill a 3-ft.
x 3-ft. x 3-ft. box. In order to visualize
it, picture a hollow washing machine. Remove
the top to square it off. That’s an approximate
cubic yard.
How much material can I haul in my pick-up
truck?
Well, that depends on what you’re hauling.
If you’re hauling mulch in a full-size pick-up
with a full-size bed, you can fit 2 cubic
yards in the bed and have it be level. Three
yards is a heaped load. If you’re hauling
soil, weight becomes an issue. Most pick-up
trucks can hold 2-3 ton/cubic yards of topsoil,
but they can only haul 1 ton/cubic yard.
Colored
Wood Mulch FAQ
Will colored mulch
hurt my plants?
No. Colored mulch is actually kinder to
your plants than bark mulch. Bark mulch
gets very hot as it decomposes in the stockpile.
But, because the wood in colored mulch is
generally seasoned hardwood, no substantial
heat is generated in the stockpile. Therefore,
colored wood mulch will not burn your plants
or deplete them of nitrogen. Actually, this
mulch is helpful to plants. It retards weed
growth, maintains soil temperature, retains
moisture in the soil and provides organic
matter to the soil as it decomposes.
Will the nails from
the pallets be in my mulch?
No. We have never had a nail contamination
problem. Why? Nails are removed in the manufacturing
process by extremely powerful magnets. Those
nails are placed in a bin and sent to a
recycling facility.
Will this mulch float
away?
No. We’ve never had a floating complaint.
Why? As we stated earlier, this mulch is
made with seasoned hardwoods. Hardwoods
are heavier and more dense than bark. This
helps the mulch stay in place. Of course,
nearly anything will move if the water velocity
is great enough.
How long will the
color last?
In general, the mulch will last for at least
one season whereas bark mulch turns gray
after 4-6 weeks exposure to the sun. Likewise,
cypress mulch turns silver in sun exposure.
If the mulch is applied deep enough, many
of our customers are able to turn or fluff
it with a rake and it looks like new. Some
customers have told us that they get multiple
seasons from one application. Generally,
colored wood mulch needs a yearly one inch
refresher. Direct sunlight, moisture exposure
and proper application play an essential
role in the longevity of your colored wood
mulch.
Does the dye pose
any risk to my children or pets?
No. The dyes are nontoxic. We have Material
Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) available upon
request for all the colorants used in our
mulch.
How many colors are
available?
We normally stock 4 colors: red, black,
brown and saffron.
Are the pallets used
in the mulch contaminated in any way?
No. We require that all pallet providers
sign a dump agreement that explicitly expresses
our dumping policies. All pallets are dumped
in a designated area and examined by one
of our employees to ensure no contamination.
Once the examination occurs, the pallets
are then placed in the general stockpile
to await grinding.
How much mulch do
I need?
In order to get the advantages of mulch,
you will need to apply it three inches deep.
Knowing that, it’s quite simple to calculate
how much mulch you will need. Multiply the
length times the width of the area to be
mulched. Divide that number by 100. This
gives you the cubic yardage needed to cover
the area at a 3-inch depth. Simple as that!
I still get weeds even though I use mulch!
This generally occurs due to one of two
reasons: improper depth or improper bed
preparation. People generally apply mulch
too thin. Mulch should be applied at a bare
minimum of two inches thick, three to four
preferably. Weed seeds have a tough time
getting the required sunlight if the mulch
is applied correctly. But, before the mulch
is applied, the area needs to be properly
prepared. The existing weeds should be pulled.
Then, many people apply black plastic or
landscaping fabric. An even better, less
costly and environmentally friendly solution
is to place several layers of newspaper
on the area. Spray them with the hose to
weigh them down and you’re ready to go!
The newspaper decomposes and it’s easy to
plant through.
Will colored wood
mulch attract termites to my home?
When it comes to insects, there are no guarantees.
HOWEVER, we’ve received excellent feedback
from our customers in this area. We’ve NEVER
had a termite complaint. In fact, some of
our customers have told us that their bug
problems went away after using the colored
wood mulch. Why? We’re not exactly sure
but we have two theories: the insects don’t
like the colorant or because the wood is
seasoned, the cellulose has dried up and
there is no food source.
Will the colorant
stain my concrete driveway?
If the mulch has had sufficient time to
dry, it should not be a problem. However,
because we have such a high turn around
rate and can not ensure that the current
stockpile is COMPLETELY dry, we recommend
that customers place a tarp on their concrete
driveway as a precaution.
What is the difference between colored wood
mulch and bark mulch?
The colored wood mulch is made from seasoned
hard woods that we dye on site. The nice
thing about this product is that it will
hold its color all season. The bark mulch
comes to us directly from the saw mill in
the form of single-shredded bark. That product
is extremely inconsistent and can have large
pieces in it. Therefore, we double grind
it here to ensure consistency and quality.
The double shredded bark is medium to dark
brown in color. It will begin to turn a
grayish-white in six to eight weeks and
should be cool to the touch before it is
placed around plants.
Topsoil
FAQ
What does one cubic
yard of soil weigh?
Generally, one cubic yard weighs approximately
one ton.
Is your topsoil available year-round?
Rutter’s soil is available 12 months of
the year.
Is your topsoil dry?
Absolutely. Our soil is kept under roof.
What is ¾” topsoil?
Three-quarter inch topsoil is a good all-purpose
soil screened through a ¾” screen. Anything
smaller than ¾” may pass through the screen.
The combination in particle size permits
both air and water to easily gain access
to plant roots.
Compost
FAQ
What is compost?
According to the Field Guide To Compost
Use, compost is the product resulting from
the controlled biological decomposition
of organic material that has been sanitized
through the generation of heat and stabilized
to the point that it is beneficial to plant
growth. Compost is an organic matter resource
that has the unique ability to improve the
chemical, physical, and biological characteristics
of soils or growing media. It contains plant
nutrients but is typically not characterized
as a fertilizer.
Does your compost
contain manure or other waste?
There is NO animal waste, human waste or
food waste in Rutter’s compost. Rutter’s
compost is a yard-trimming compost made
up of leaves; grass clippings; ground brush,
logs and stumps, cardboard and paper. These
ingredients are proportionately placed in
windrows. The windrows are watered, turned
and monitored for temperature change. In
6-9 months, the compost is ready to be screened.
How can I use compost?
Compost can be used in many, many ways.
It can be used as a landscape mulch, soil
amendment for planting beds, soil amendment
for turf establishment/renovation, soil
amendment for upgrading marginal soils,
soil mulch for erosion control and many
more. (Information adapted from the Field
Guilde to Compost Use, US Composting Council,
1996.)
What is the difference
between ¾” and 3/8 ” compost?
The material is exactly the same. The 3/8”
compost is screened through a fine 3/8”
screen. It is commonly used as a soil amendment;
however, some people use it as a decorative
mulch. The ¾” compost is screened through
a ¾” screen and is most commonly used as
a decorative mulch.
Aggregate
FAQ
What are differences
in river gravel?
Pea Round is exactly that, a little larger
than the size of a pea. The next size is
2B Round. It is a flat, smooth stone comparable
in size to driveway limestone. I invision
them as good skipping stones. Next in size
is 2B Special. It is goose egg size. And
finally, there’s Oversize. It is a mixture
of stones ranging from golf ball to softball
size.
How do I know how
much river gravel to order?
That’s what we’re here for! Plug the square
footage of the desired area to be covered
into the calculator on our site. Keep this
in mind! Calculate 2B Round at 2”, 2B Special
at 4” and Oversize at 6”.
What kind of sand
should I put under my pool?
Masonry sand is appropriate for underneath
swimming pools
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