TTogether we can help make Glastonbury a more beautiful, greener place to live.
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Mulching
Around Trees |
Your
Community Beautification Committee
brings you this timely gardening tip.
By Bob Shipman and Della
Winans
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You must have seen trees mulched in this manner. But do you
know that this can be harmful and may cause death to your
plants? Although roots require a constant moisture supply,
the bark cannot sustain life in a constantly moist
situation. This constant source of moisture can cause rot,
fungus, and diseases to occur in the bark. |
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The mulch
around this tree is ten inches deep! It should be no deeper
than four inches and the mulch should be back at least three
inches from the trunk and root flare at the base. |
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You may not notice any ill effect in the first year or two,
but the long-term effect can cause death. You must keep
mulch back at least three inches from the trunk. This
includes the portion of the trunk that flares out at the
base.
The purpose of mulching is to retain moisture, moderate soil
temperature, reduce weed competition, protect the plant from
mechanical damage from lawn mowers and string trimmers, and
add a finished appearance to the planting. But don’t use too
much. Two to four inches above the proper soil level is the
recommended depth. So if you plan to re-mulch this year, be
sure the total depth of mulch does not exceed four
inches. The roots near the surface need oxygen. A deep mulch
prohibits oxygen from reaching the root system.
Organic mulches breakdown and contribute to the fertility
and structure of your soil. Fine textured mulches such as
leaf compost or finely ground bark mulch should be applied
only two inches deep, while coarse textured mulches such as
bark nuggets, may be piled up to four inches deep. The
coarse nuggets allow more air penetration whereas fine
textured mulch packs down and impedes air penetration.
Mulches whose main component is wood (cellulose) may attract
termites and also tie up the nitrogen from your soil as they
decompose. Since bark contains little cellulose, composted
bark mulch is preferable over other wood mulches. Many of the red
color-enhanced mulches are composed of shredded wood and
therefore deplete the soil of the nitrogen that your plants
need for good growth.
Mulching has many beneficial aspects for your plants. It has
the additional benefit of adding a finished appearance to
your total landscape. However the mulch should not be the
dominant feature of the landscape. The overall design and
the plants themselves should be the focal point. |
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