Mulch - Page 2

Posted by Frank on October 17, 2009, 1:40 pm

Van Chocstraw wrote:

> trader4@optonline.net wrote:
>
> My reason was so I wouldn't have to mow under the branches which are low
> to the ground. Keeps the grass and weeds from growing under there.

Mulch won't hurt unless there is too much as others suggest. I have
several evergreens with branches touching ground and there is no need to
mulch because nothing will grow there.

Posted by norminn@earthlink.net on October 17, 2009, 2:00 pm

clipped

>
> My reason was so I wouldn't have to mow under the branches which are low
> to the ground. Keeps the grass and weeds from growing under there.

It is a good idea to mulch around trees to keep from injuring trunk with
mowers. Just don't pile it too high or too thick, or, as another
mentioned, up against the trunk. Mulch that is too heavy and/or thick
can smother roots. Another concern is that, over time, much
decomposition can temporarily deprive tree of nutrients....requires N to
break down. I suspect that would be more problematic for small trees
and mulch, like leaves, that break down more rapidly.

Citrus trees, for one, are very susceptible to fungus disease from
having too wet conditions around base of trunk.

Posted by Jim Elbrecht on October 17, 2009, 1:31 pm

trader4@optonline.net wrote:

-snip-

>Are people doing the volcano pile high mulch thing everywhere now?
>Here in NJ it's become the common thing over the last decade or so.
>I attributed it to nyc folks who don;t know any better and have been
>migrating here in droves.
>Lately I've noticed another factor. In new construciton, I've seen 7
>ft trees planted with the huge mulch volcanoes, at least a foot
>high. Turns out, the trees were planted without much of a hole.
>Looks like a half-assed way to avoid digging the proper hole. And by
>the time the tree dies, it isn't there problem anymore.

1 foot high? Seems 3 feet is the rule here-- Near Albany, NY. The
first time I saw it I thought they were just healing in the plants on
newly delivered mulch. The dumbest looking one I've seen had 45
degree slopes and some 3-4ft high pointy evergreens planted on them
perpendicular to the slope.

>To answer the OP question, no reason mulch about 3" thick or so should
>harm any tree, unless it's mulch that was made out of something toxic.

That was my thought--- Some disease or chemical in the mulch. "Bark
mulch" covers a whole lot of different materials.

Jim

Posted by norminn@earthlink.net on October 17, 2009, 2:02 pm

Jim Elbrecht wrote:

> trader4@optonline.net wrote:
>
> -snip-

>> Are people doing the volcano pile high mulch thing everywhere now?
>> Here in NJ it's become the common thing over the last decade or so.
>> I attributed it to nyc folks who don;t know any better and have been
>> migrating here in droves.
>> Lately I've noticed another factor. In new construciton, I've seen 7
>> ft trees planted with the huge mulch volcanoes, at least a foot
>> high. Turns out, the trees were planted without much of a hole.
>> Looks like a half-assed way to avoid digging the proper hole. And by
>> the time the tree dies, it isn't there problem anymore.

>
> 1 foot high? Seems 3 feet is the rule here-- Near Albany, NY. The
> first time I saw it I thought they were just healing in the plants on
> newly delivered mulch. The dumbest looking one I've seen had 45
> degree slopes and some 3-4ft high pointy evergreens planted on them
> perpendicular to the slope.
>

>> To answer the OP question, no reason mulch about 3" thick or so should
>> harm any tree, unless it's mulch that was made out of something toxic.

>
> That was my thought--- Some disease or chemical in the mulch. "Bark
> mulch" covers a whole lot of different materials.
>
> Jim

Kind of hard to imagine bark mulch containing sufficient chemicals to
harm a tree...s'pose anything is possible :o)

Posted by Jim Elbrecht on October 17, 2009, 3:10 pm

On Sat, 17 Oct 2009 14:02:08 -0400, "norminn@earthlink.net"

>Jim Elbrecht wrote:

-snip-

>> That was my thought--- Some disease or chemical in the mulch. "Bark
>> mulch" covers a whole lot of different materials.
>>
>> Jim

>Kind of hard to imagine bark mulch containing sufficient chemicals to
>harm a tree...s'pose anything is possible :o)

Imagine this. . . Power crew treats right-of-way with herbicide.
After everything is dead a clean up crew mulches it up so the brush
doesn't create a fire hazard. Homeowner says "Free mulch" and
throws a couple pickup loads on his prize rhododendron.

Jim

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