mulching

member11809 · Guest

Could you mulch trees now or is it to early?

tippben · Posted: Mon Feb 17, 2014 12:55 am Post subject:

Yes you can mulch at any time of year. Now is fine. What species are they and how old/big are they? First, clear anything else growing in a 2' radius from the trunk, then add a 2" layer of organic matter: leaf mould, garden compost, bought compost well rotted manure. Do not use soil, as that will just choke the roots. Soil is not a mulch.

Greengage · Posted: Mon Feb 17, 2014 6:03 pm Post subject:

frssh bark mulch robs nitrogen from the soil as well

My Potatoes · Posted: Mon Feb 17, 2014 6:52 pm Post subject:

Autumn is the optimum time, as mulching helps to retain heat and moisture.
Though there may be plenty of the latter at the mo'!

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Patricia O'Sullivan · Rank attained: Hazel Tree Joined: 24 Apr 2011 Posts: 1

Hello,

I have five apple trees and three pear trees. Also some ornamentals. Could I use Brown Gold to mulch around these trees now once I have cleared the radius?

Also does anybody know if using carpet squares around the base of a tree will deter weeds and still allow moisture/rain etc to penetrate through?
Thank you

Greengage · Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 6:27 pm Post subject:

with the carpet moisture will seep in but what about air, I personally dont like carpet or cardboard as mulches, well rotted leaf mould or well rotted FYM but not against the bark of the trees, The above will be taken down into the soil eventually by worms etc..

My Potatoes · Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 7:56 pm Post subject: Re: mulching

tippben · Posted: Wed Feb 19, 2014 1:47 am Post subject:

You could use cardboard, covered with manure, but as said above, not right up to the trunk. The manure and cardboard will degrade together. If you have old carpet, then use it before throwing it away, but you will have to throw it away in the autumn anyway, for the reasons stated above. Just stop the weeds (INCLUDING GRASS! IT IS A WEED!") growing within two feet of the main stem of the tree. For three years.

tippben · Posted: Wed Feb 19, 2014 2:03 am Post subject:

The gist of it is this. Even the biggest tree, hundreds of years old, has the most important roots in the top meter of soil. They extend just beyond the limit of the foliage in order to catch the rain bouncing off the leaves. When there's a storm, and a tree blows over, you see a root "plate". That's why.

It's also why you should try not to interfere with the soil within a tree's "drip line", and why you should avoid compacting the soil in that area. Never, ever, allow any vehicles under the canopy of an established tree if you want it to thrive. Not only will you kill the roots, you will destroy the symbiotic (mycorrhizal) fungi that the tree needs to live. I always add "RootGrow", a mix of these fungi, when planting a new tree, though mulching with leaves in autumn does the same job.

For young trees, getting the roots out and spread in the first few years is vital. That means minimizing competition. Any other plant will take nutrients, and more importantly moisture away from the tree. Grass is the worst culprit. Many people try to keep the grass down with strimmers, and inevitably ring bark the sapling.

So. Some use glyphosate. Some use "mulch mats". Others, cardboard, organic mulches and hand weeding. All work, as long as you can keep any other growing plant at least two feet from the stem of your sapling for at least three years and not disturb the soil.

member11809 · Guest

could you use a mulch of organic compost. my friend did and had no problem

Greengage · Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2014 10:04 pm Post subject:

yes but keep it away from trunk.

member11809 · Guest

Greengage · Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2014 7:52 pm Post subject:

When you plant a tree or shrub be it bare rooted or already in a pot generally you never plant it deeper than the original soil mark, if you do it will smother and die, adding mulch and raising it above the soil level will contribute to it dying probably rotting over time.

member11809 · Guest

Good guy · Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2014 12:32 am Post subject:

The 'skin' of a plant is different, depending on the part of the plant it covers. By-and-large, below-ground skin (root tissues) have evolved to cope with below-ground conditions - damp, dark, and the presence of critters, moulds, fungi etc that live in soil. Above-ground skin has evolved to take advantage of light, to withstand varying extremes of weather and humidity and to cope with above-ground critters etc.

It is important to respect these characteristics of plant tissues and to work with, not against them. So keep mulches away from stems!