Weed control in woody ornamental container production is one of the most expensive inputs in production. Preemergent herbicides, mulches and hand labor are all methods of delaying, impeding, or removing weeds that will negatively impact the growth and aesthetics of the produced container plant. One method gaining popularity in Central Florida to reduce weed competition is the use of rice hulls (RH) as a mulch. Effective mulches will reduce the amount of weed competition plants face. Rice hulls are a byproduct from the rice industry and deemed a disposed waste. RH are applied by hand in a layer of about 0.5 to 1 inch deep and dry out in a relatively quick manner. Growers anticipate that RH reduce the costs of weed competition and hand labor from weeding operations. This research investigated the economic cost of RH and benefit of RH mulch in terms of weed growth reduction.
