I've never heard of such a thing. Can you post a link or a picture of it? Is it animal, vegetable or mineral? I suspect one of the first two but I'm not sure whether it comes from a tree or a primate.

Many people have used various hairs as mulches and they work just as well as any other type of organic matter as long as the material has enough depth to prevent unwanted plant growth. To aid in stopping unwanted plant growth (weeds) a mulch needs to be thick enough (enough depth) to keep the undesirable plants from getting the sunlight they need to grow.

kimmq is kimmsr.

To toxcrusadr: gorilla hair that I have purchased is made from either redwood or cedar trees.

Thanks, I learned something new today. We don't have those trees here which is why I haven't seen that product.

Should work fine, +1 on kimmsr's advice on the thickness. Pro tip: if you like something for its appearance or how well it stays in place, but you have cheaper or abundant alternatives, you can layer other stuff first and use the special stuff on top.

I use it on a sloped area. Stays in place really well.

It is the outer part of a redwood tree, the part that isn't used when cutting redwood trees for lumber. It is recommended as mulch around California native plants. It might not be the best for roses, where you would rake up and replace the mulch after winter pruning.

This is from your gorilla, right? ;) Nancy

Gorilla hair mulch is the name given to shredded Redwood.

In my experience working in few gardens that had that added, gorilla mulch shredded redwood back is a horrible product. It forms a "blanket" which gets super soggy suffocating plants when it rains, and in the summer is get really dry and doesn't keep any moisture in. It also doesn't break down which is something you want for a mulch, cover the soil and improve the soil structure with its nutrients. Forest floor is way better in my experience, that is what I suggest to my clients. Also be aware that if you have an irrigation that use sprayers mulch is not indicated as you will need to water way longer to reach the roots. Drip irrigation will save water and is great when mulch is added to the garden.

I hope this helps.

Laura

Another thought, when adding mulch keep it away from existing plants or they will suffer, insects can hide there and weaken plants.

Laura, you may want to look up a past issue of Fine Gardening magazine for an article that reported a 9 year study by two researchers at Michigan State University on mulching that dispels some of thye myths you7 are trying to perpetuate.

kimmq is kimmsr

Kimmq, could you please specify what "myths" you are referring to?

I was simply stating my experience with gorilla mulch since that was the question.

I don't subscribe to fine magazine so j don't know which study you refer to. This one maybe? It doesn't seem to contradict anything I wrote.

http://www.isa-arbor.com/store/productfiles/CaseforMulchQuiz-97-case%20for%20mulch.pdf

Please let me know what things I wrote you thing are myths. All I wrote is based on personal observations and informations I have read or heard from many experts in the landscape business or educators.

We don't have an irrigation system, so my experience is somewhat different.

I used this type of mulch last year. It did knit together. When I wanted to dig, I had to push it out of the way. It made my backyard vegetable garden look shockingly tidy and professional

A year later, it has mostly decomposed, and I plan to buy more.

Please do not let Laura's alleged bad experiences with gorilla hair stop you from using it. Gorilla hair is a fantastic mulch for the garden. Bugs can hide in just about any mulch(I suppose the synthetic mulches might be less hospitable.) and if you have very water sensitive plants you need to be mindful when mulching. Yes drip irrigation works best whenever you apply mulch and once you have a properly setup drip system you will wonder why you waited so long. Gorilla hair WILL help retain moisture during the summer months and I have yet to see a plant suffer during the winter months, unless the irrigation system is left on which is a typical homeowner mistake. Gorilla hair WILL decompose over time but not as fast as some other materials I have used. It has been my experience that most homeowners do not want a mulch that requires yearly replacement. And finally, I have yet to find a better mulch for hillsides than Gorilla hair because it tends to stay in place once it has been compacted a little and the fibers form more of a solid mat. If you have wet mulch directly against plant stems you run the risk of rot during your rainy/wet season so keep that in mind, and if you have soil that retains a lot of water you also need to factor that in when mulching. Many of my clients have sandy soil and the county has imposed water restrictions due to drought, so I mulch thick(2"-3" minimum) and recommend frequent light watering. But if you have clay soil then perhaps a thinner layer of mulch and less irrigation frequency/duration. Have fun with your garden and realize that most problems are due to "operator error" or a basic misunderstanding of how to use a certain product.