Mulch for trees: find the center

As a rule of thumb, any kind of excess will inevitably do more harm than good over time. This applies to a variety of lawn products that can be very useful in moderate amounts but harmful in higher doses, such as pesticides, fertilizers, even mulching around trees.

Mulch around trees and shrubs is a valuable part of regular maintenance. This helps them to be healthy and creates a more efficient growing environment by maintaining soil moisture, controlling weeds, improving soil structure, and blocking certain plant diseases. Mulch also gives your garden, trees, and planting beds a neat and attractive look.

Applying too much mulch can counteract the many benefits of your garden and even harm your plants. Homeowners often reapply mulch or pile it too high on tree trunks. Some of the problems that cause excess mulch include unnecessary stress and root rot from excessive moisture, insect and disease problems, nutrient deficiencies, weed growth, and the creation of rodent habitats. If you apply too much mulch, your plant bed will also smell sour.

For this reason, it is important to use the correct technique when applying mulch around your tree. These tips point you in the right direction.

In most cases, you should use two to ten inches of mulch. However, if you are having problems with drainage in your garden, try a thinner layer.

If you are moving to a new home where mulch has been applied, measure the depth. If it's enough, scrape until the layer breaks.

Do not apply mulch to tree trunks. If the mulch has stuck to your tree trunk, rearrange it so that the trunk and root canopy are bare.

Apply mulch over or over the wood drip line.

The common type of mulch you can find at your local hardware store will work for most trees; Organic mulch is good for its soil conditioning properties. In addition, some trees benefit more from acidifying mulch, such as: B. Pine bark.