| 摘要 |
A process for making pelletized mint mulch utilizes the mint plant residue from production of mint oil as a primary feed stock. The mint residue, known as mint slugs, is first dried, chopped, and sifted to remove fine materials from the fibrous or stemmy portions of the mint slugs and to shorten the mint stem fibers to a length predominantly in the one-half to one-inch range. The chopped fibrous portions of the mint slugs are pelletized and the resultant pellets are crumbled. Pelletizing compresses the mint fibers greatly reducing their bulk and crimping them to promote separability. Crumbling fractures the pellets so that they will more readily break apart and absorb water. Crumbled mint mulch is applied to bare soil surfaces in dry form by conventional broadcasting apparatus. The pellets can also be mixed into a slurry form for spray application by a hydro-mulching machine. The organic structure of the pelletized mint mulch contains substantial quantities of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium which are gradually released during decomposition of the mulch. The pelletized mint stems also contain a natural tackifier to adhere the fibers to the soil surface.
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