Garden mulch is one of your most versatile tools as a landscaper or gardener. Mulch can improve the look of your landscape, help fight weeds, and keep your property strong and healthy. Using mulch around trees is a great way to accentuate the aesthetics of your trees and keep them healthy.
Why Would I Mulch Around Trees?
There are lots of good reasons for you to mulch your trees!
- If you’re planting young trees, they often appreciate a couple of inches of mulch surrounding the base. However, when doing this, make sure that you space the mulch within the first foot of the tree’s trunk. This limits the chances of your tree bark getting moldy.
- Mulching helps to keep weeds away from your trees. Weeds compete for water and this can be problematic, especially with young trees.
- Mulching prevents water from evaporating. This can keep your trees hydrated even in the warmer months of the year.
- Mulch helps keep tree roots cool.
- Mulch can be useful for limiting soil erosion which is especially useful when your trees are planted on a slope.
If that’s not enough reason for you to mulch your trees, then nothing will be!
What Sort of Mulch Should I Use for My Trees?
Most forms of standard mulch work well with trees. Good examples of tree mulch include:
- Bark mulch
- Wood chips
- Shredded leaves
- Other types of organic mulch including pine boughs, straw, and mushroom compost
However, there are some things to keep in mind.
- Wood chip mulch should be aged prior to using around trees.
- When using leaf mulch it’s a good idea to shred the leaves first so that they can be broken down quicker. Leaf mulch can be easily acquired during autumn if you simply toss your raked leaves into a leaf shredder or by passing your lawn mower over them.
Tips & Tricks
There are a few tips and tricks that will help ensure that you have a positive mulching experience. Mostly you want to avoid creating a mulch volcano, which is a pretty self-explanatory term for a mountain of mulch.
- Avoid using more than six inches of mulch. This prevents the water from actually reaching your tree. Instead, it will get stuck in the mulch where it can’t be of much use. Too much mulch can also make it impossible for your tree’s roots to breathe.
- Try to make your mulch rings between 3 and 6 feet.
- It can be a good idea to mulch up to the edge of your tree’s outermost leaves, known as the dripline. This ensures that any moisture droplets will be caught and absorbed by the tree.
To Wrap It All Up
In summary, it’s a great idea to mulch around the base of your plants. As long as you don’t use too much mulch, this will help to prevent weeds from growing while ensuring that your trees grow strong and healthy.
Now that you know how important it is to mulch your trees, the next thing to figure out is when to mulch. This article explains all that you need to know. And it never hurts to stay environmentally-friendly by using eco mulch!
