Many people have trees in their yards and appreciate having them. But, a lot of homeowners don’t spend much time caring for their trees. It’s easy to assume that they will take care of themselves. However, in order to have healthy trees, it helps to provide the trees with some care, and mulch is an important part of this.
If your think about how trees grow in their natural environment, this will make sense. In the forest, trees are surrounded by old wood, dead leaves, twigs, and other organic material. This material is a lot like mulch. It adds many nutrients to the soil, keeps the soil loose, and helps to prevent other plants from growing too near the tree and reducing the available nutrients.
This means that many trees, especially those that originally came from areas that are heavily forested, are used to having a lot of material around their roots. When trees have a lot of mulch around their roots, it helps them stay healthier. Trees’ roots are healthier in moist areas with plenty of oxygen in the soil, and mulch can help to provide these conditions.
Unfortunately, many homeowners don’t spread mulch around their trees. The trees are planted in grassy lawns, which have far different conditions than these types of trees originally grew in. In these conditions, the tree’s roots are exposed to sunlight instead of being covered. Additionally, the soil is likely often dried out instead of moist, and the trees have to compete with the surrounding vegetation for nutrients. Although the grass surrounding the tree does not benefit either, it often fares poorly due to being in the shade.
These trees have many other problems in this situation as well. There are the lawn chemicals the homeowners use for weed control and the compacted soil around the tree that lowers the amount of oxygen in the soil. There are also machines used to cut and trim the lawn that can injure the trees and even cause them to rot. Some homeowners will even remove part of the tree’s roots if they become inconvenient.
Trees often have a hard time on the typical lawn. The best thing you can do to help your trees is to place mulch around them. Doing this creates conditions similar to a forest and can improve your tree’s roots as well as their health. This will help keep unhealthy chemicals and trimmers, and mowers away from your trees. Your grass will be better off as well, being in the sunshine instead of the shade of your trees.
If you decide to place mulch around your trees, it is best to place it so as to create a three-foot circle of mulch around the tree. Also, you will want the mulch to be four to six inches deep. Additionally, it is not a good idea to cover the mulch with plastic. It will not only kill weeds, but it will also kill the tree’s roots by keeping them from getting water and oxygen.
The mulch can be most anything, such as leaves or compost. Forestry mulch is a great choice if you have recently cleared any areas of your property. Just make sure to use organic material. Also, avoid digging around the tree when placing the mulch, as it could damage the roots.
Final Thoughts
Placing mulch around your trees is a great way to try to give your trees the growing conditions that nature intended. It is easy to do and can even improve the appearance of your lawn.
Contact Us
For forestry mulching services or other land clearing services, contact the professionals at Coastal Brush Control LLC. We are committed to providing you with the best service on the market for forestry mulching, land clearing, and bush hogging services. Call us at 910-915-6619 and connect with us on Facebook and Instagram.
