Landowners are familiar with the regular yardwork chore of mulching around their trees. The practice provides many important health and aesthetic benefits, but if not managed correctly, it can have downsides.
Pro Tree of Knoxville, highly rated tree services experts in Jefferson City and around East Tennessee, provides some things to consider when mulching around trees below.
Pros of Mulching Around Trees
In general, mulch provides a number of significant benefits that promote tree health.
Soil Moisture Retention
Mulching reduces water evaporation, keeping the soil around tree roots moist and more resilient to drought conditions and hot weather. Trees naturally conserve water when rainfall is insufficient, and mulch helps this process significantly.
Tree Root Protection
Tree root tissues are much more vulnerable than above-ground bark. Mulch helps to insulate roots against extreme temperature swings and promotes a consistent soil environment. If roots are close to the surface or exposed, mulching helps prevent traffic that causes soil compaction and damage.
Organic Mulch Benefits
Organic mulch materials like wood chips, bark, or leaf compost help add essential nutrients to the soil as they decompose. High-quality organic mulch improves soil structure, drainage, and aeration, promoting healthy root and tree growth.
Weed Control Around Trees
Mulch acts as a natural barrier against unwanted weed growth. By blocking sunlight, quality mulch prevents most seeds from germinating. This reduces the competition your trees face for the water and nutrients they need to thrive.
Prevents Soil Erosion
Mulch helps prevent soil erosion by slowing down stormwater runoff and absorbing rainfall. Preserving essential topsoil promotes healthy growing conditions for trees and turf.
Cons of Mulching Around Trees
These are some of the potential pitfalls that can come with improper mulching.
Don’t Overmulch
Professional mulch depth guidelines typically call for between 2 and 4 inches. Too much mulching — sometimes called “volcano mulching” — can suffocate roots, restrict the exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen, and cause root rot.
Too much mulch piled up also promotes the development of secondary root systems that cause long-term damage. Secondary roots usually grow too close to the surface and deprive the primary roots of water and nutrition.
Don’t Use Cheap or Dyed Mulch
Low-quality mulch, especially dyed mulch, often contains harmful chemicals. Cheap mulch also deteriorates too quickly and just doesn’t provide lasting benefits.
Don’t Misapply Mulch
Use proper mulch application techniques to avoid situations that harm rather than help your trees. Don’t let much pile up directly against a tree’s trunk. This leads to moisture buildup that promotes rot and pest infestation. Create a mulch ring around the base of your trees without pressuring the trunk.
Contact Pro Tree of Knoxville for Expert Mulching Advice and All Tree Services
Pro Tree of Knoxville works for landowners across East Tennessee, providing expert arborist advice and professional tree services. Your property and trees deserve the best — count on our team to deliver!
Contact us online or call (865) 294-0062 to discuss mulching around trees and to schedule service with Pro Tree of Knoxville. Talk to us today.