Caring for your trees and shrubs is rewarding work, but many people overlook one key step: mulching. We are here to answer some FAQs about mulching to help you decide if mulching is needed for your trees and shrubs.
What is mulch?
Mulch is a byproduct of natural materials used to feed microorganisms within the soil to generate healthier soil for your trees and plants. Mulch can be made from compost, wood chips, or even cardboard. Natural forests have their own way of creating mulch with leaves that fall to the ground and debris from plants.
What are the advantages of mulching?
Mulch serves several purposes that benefit your plants. It helps to maintain the moisture in the soil by holding water and slowly disbursing it to the soil below, rather than allowing it to flow away or evaporate before the soil can soak it up. Also, it helps to control soil temperature by keeping the soil warmer in cooler months, preventing your plants from freeing, as well as preventing direct sunlight on the soil which would cause any moisture to dry up. In addition, it protects the soil from wearing down and becoming compressed from elements, such as wind and heavy rains.
What are the disadvantages of mulching?
There can be disadvantages to mulching, but with proper application, these can be minimized. Too much mulch can smother your plants by preventing water and oxygen from reaching the plant’s roots, as well as cause them to overheat. If mulch is piled too high around the trunk of your shrubs and trees, the insects and rodents could be tempted to make a snack of your trees, or the bark could begin to decay. This can be avoided by creating a donut effect with the mulch rather than a volcano.
If you’re ready to add some mulch to your trees and shrubs, the arborists at Complete Landscaping are ready assist you. Talk to an arborist in Tucson today by calling (520) 323-8918.