Tree Care Consulting Tips On Mulching Your Trees
The best soil environment for trees is in their natural home: the forest. The soil on the forest floor is full of decaying leaves, organic matter, and rich nutrients. Because of the tree cover in the forest, soil temperatures and moisture levels are relatively stable. By contrast, urban and suburban environments tend to have nutrient poor soils. Exposure to sun and wind also causes large variations in soil moisture and temperature. This means your trees have a harder time of it in your backyard than in their natural environment. However, proper mulching on your part will make their life much easier.
Organic mulch is a substitute for the top layer of organic debris that naturally occurs on the forest floor. It is made from wood chips, chopped leaves, shredded bark, saw dust, and other organic materials. Like the organic debris of the forest floor, organic mulch decays and enriches the soil near the tree. It also stabilizes the moisture content and temperature of the soil.
Inorganic mulch is made from materials that do not decompose. Because of this, they do not enrich the soil. They do retain moisture and insulate the soil and tree roots from large temperature changes. Although inorganic mulch requires little maintenance, your trees are better off with organic mulch.
Additional benefits of mulch include reducing competition for moisture and nutrients by weeds and lawn grass, preventing soil compaction, and preventing damage from lawn mowers.
Mulch Application Tips
- The mulch circle should go out to the drip line of the tree. Large and well established trees however, require less.
- Remove the grass from the mulch circle including the roots. Shake the soil from the sod back into the exposed soil.
- Apply mulch at a depth of no more than two to four inches (5 to 10 centimeters). Mulch that is too deep leads to excess moisture buildup which can cause root rot.
- Keep the mulch away from the trunk and root flare of the tree. Maintain several inches of clearance. Piling mulch against the tree trunk can cause insect and disease problems and may attract rodents.
Proper mulching ensures a healthy soil environment for your trees. Talk to your local tree care consulting expert for more advice on proper tree care. If you need any help with problem trees or general tree care, you can follow along on Facebook and Instagram, or you can contact us here if you have any questions.
