Tree mulch is one of the best ways to control weeds. It can also be a great way to improve the aesthetic of your property as well as help to improve the health and longevity of your plants.
Sourcing high-quality mulch doesn’t have to be a challenge, either. Chances are you’ll be able to score some top-notch mulching materials easily. You might already have some good mulching material sitting around on your property!
Uses of Tree Mulch
Tree mulch is generally used around the base of trees. This helps to prevent weeds from sprouting up around the tree. Mulch also helps to ensure that moisture stays in the ground. This can help make sure that your trees stay hydrated for longer during the warmer months.
On top of this, mulch helps to keep the soil cool. In addition to retaining moisture this can make it easier on some plants being grown in extremely hot environments.
Tree mulch also serves an aesthetic purpose. Having a nice, organized ring of mulch surrounding your plants makes things look neat and organized.
The term “tree mulch” can also be used to describe any type of mulch made from tree bark. In this case, tree mulch can be used anywhere on your property: in your garden, on your lawn, and yes, around the base of trees.
This type of mulch is distinct from other types of mulch such as lawn clippings, hay, or cardboard.
Sourcing Good Quality Tree Mulch
There are lots of places that you can find high-quality mulch. Your biggest concern should be finding mulch that is high-quality and supportive of the environment. In most cases, this means repurposing old wood chips that would otherwise just be discarded.
You can often find old woodchips at construction sites. Simply talk to the foreman or manager and ask if you can take the wood chips away. In most cases they’ll be happy to let you do so for free as this reduces their costs.
There are also companies that deliver woodchip mulch. Some may do this for free, and others may charge a small delivery fee. Tree cutting services also end up with tons of wood chips that they are often happy to part with.
You can also use other forms of mulch. A couple examples include:
- Old leaves. All the leaves that you rake up during autumn can be used as mulch.
- Grass clippings. It’s a worthwhile investment to get a bag lawnmower. Instead of composting the grass that you cut you can repurpose it as mulch.
- Newspaper. Aesthetically, newspaper works best when you use it as an under-layer for another type of mulch. However, it does work great on your own. Avoid using colored pages as they contain harmful ink.
To Top It All Off
Tree mulch is a great way to improve the health and appearance of your property.
Before you start mulching, check out this article on how to effectively use it around your trees. If you’re thinking about mulching your garden, check out our article on the pros & cons of mulching vs. not mulching your garden beds.
