Storing Soil-biodegradable Plastic Mulch On-Farm

Storing soil-biodegradable plastic mulch at your farm requires a little more planning than storing polyethylene mulch. Order only as much mulch as needed for a given year, and, if rolls are left over, these should be used first the following year. The following guidelines will keep soil-biodegradable mulch in good condition for one year, but after that time, it may lose its quality.

• Store rolls in their original packaging. If packaging has been discarded, wrap rolls in polyethylene or moisture-controlled overwrap.
• Store mulch indoors, in a dark or shaded space with no direct exposure to sun or heat sources. A farm warehouse or supply shed that is climate controlled is ideal.
• Prevent temperature extremes, 65-80 °F is a good range.
• Store in a dry place with low to moderate relative humidity. If too humid, moisture can condense on the mulch.
• Store the rolls horizontally to reduce the risk of deformation. This also makes it easier to unroll the mulch when it is time to use it.
• If not in the original packaging, do not stack rolls, store in a single layer.
• Control rodents or other pests that might damage the rolls.
• Before laying the mulch, discard a few outer layers if it has cracks and rips due to storage, transport or handling, as the damaged mulch will have reduced performance in the field.
• For more information, refer to the user manual for your mulch.

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