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Landscaping Tips: What Mulch to use for Trees

One question that pops up this time of year a lot is what's the proper mulch to use for trees. It is simple to grasp the basic premise of mulch, but when people go to their local nursery they see many different types. How do you know which one to use? The short answer: wood chips.

The very best mulch to make use of for trees is something that is going to decompose gradually. Mulch made from wood chips fits the bill perfectly, since it rots slowly, and as an additional benefit, this mulch is very low in nutrients so will not encourage weed growth. Composted wood chips are the favored material; these can be used as durable, low-maintenance mulch, which weathers to a silver-gray color.

The bad news is that most wood chip mulch is sold as fresh material, not in a composted or aged state. These chips also decompose slowly, but as they do decompose, microorganisms develop in the mulch and use nutrients from the soil that might otherwise be available for plant growth. Composted material will not support these microorganisms, which is why it's the preferred material. One answer to this dilemma is to purchase un-composted wood chips ahead of time and compost them yourself. Place them in a backyard composter along with some leaves, twigs and bark. Make sure to keep it well aerated and turned to prevent bad smelling mulch.

Go Organic

Organic mulches are beneficial also for their soil-enhancing features, as opposed to inorganic mulch supplies like crushed rock, gravel, tarps, and landscape fabrics. As organic mulches decompose over time, they slowly discharge tiny quantities of nutrients and to the soil. Therefore your layer of mulch ought to be renewed as required to preserve a 2- to 4-inch depth.

For individual trees, your mulched region ought to cover from three to 6 feet out from the tree's base. It's best to clear the mulch away 1 to 2 inches from the base of plants to help stop damage to the tree trunk from insects, too much moisture, and diseases. Actually, this is the classic mistake that many people make with mulching trees.

You shouldn't have a pile of wood chips around your tree that resembles the thing Richard Dreyfuss created in his kitchen in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Rather, it should look more like a flattened donut. This also holds true for mulching shrubs, mind you.

Follow these simple tips and your tree ought to do well and require less watering and fertilizer than an unmulched tree.

Article Source: GardenGap.com

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