What You Should Know About Mulching Around Trees
Not sure if you should add mulch around the trees on your property? Mulching around trees can be a good idea, especially with young trees. If it isn’t done properly, though, it will do much more harm than good.
A common mistake among property owners and even inexperienced mulch installers and landscapers is over-mulching. When too much mulch is added around a tree, it can cause damage over a period of years. This can include trunk rot, bark loss, disease, and insect infestation. Here’s the right way to add mulch around your trees.
How Mulching Helps Your Trees
Mulch is the best way to protect a newly planted tree and help it grow strong. Mulch protects trees by:
- Reducing damage from lawn mowers
- Preventing soil compaction that can make it hard for roots to grow
- Keeps weeds out that could compete with the tree’s roots
- Insulates the soil to buffer against the cold and heat
- Retains water in the soil to keep roots from drying out
Avoid a Mulch Volcano
A mulch volcano is a term that describes excessive mulch use around a tree. Mulch volcanoes are often seen in lawns and resemble a mound or volcano erupting around the tree. The mulch should always slope away from the tree and never come close to the trunk.
If you pile mulch around your tree, water will run down the sides of the mound and away from the base of the young tree where the roots are located. This can deprive the tree of water. Mulch should never be more than 2 to 4 inches thick or it will trap water in the mulch instead of making its way to the roots. This will speed decomposition, suffocate the roots, and invite pests and diseases.
How to Mulch Around a Tree
Whatever you do, don’t pile mulch around your tree. Instead, remove grass within a 3-foot to 10-foot diameter, depending on the size of the tree. Add a natural mulch to the base of the tree. The mulch should be 2 to 4 inches thick. Never let the mulch touch the trunk of the tree. The mulch should extend in a circle around three feet around the tree to cover the tree roots.
Watering Your Trees
Mulch is only part of the story. Caring for a newly planted tree also requires proper watering to help the tree grow strong. A new tree should be watered immediately after planting and mulching. During the first two years, the tree will struggle to keep up with drought and heat with higher water needs. Mulching around the roots helps retain water so the roots can grow, but it’s also important to water the tree deeply to help speed up root establishment. In most cases, 30 seconds of a steady stream of water is enough to saturate the roots.
Want to avoid mistakes and ensure your new trees grow tall and strong? Blown-in mulch is a good way to ensure a proper application of mulch. Save yourself the time and hassle of mulching your landscape with professional delivery that’s efficient and easy. Fill out a form on GetMulch.com to ensure you find the right mulch installer!