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Mulching
can reduce stress by providing trees with
a stable root environment which retains more
moisture and remains cooler than the surrounding
soil.
Benefits
of Mulch
-
Retains
Soil Moisture
-
Reduces
Weeds & Controls Grass
-
Protects
Trunk from Lawn Maintenance Equipment
-
Improves
Soil Structure by Slowly Decomposing
-
Moderates
Soil Temperature
-
Reduces
Diseases by Protecting the Above Ground
Plant Parts from Splashing Water that
Carry Soil-Borne Inoculum
-
Reduces
Winter Injury by Minimizing Temperature
Variation, Reducing Water Loss in Plants,
and Decreasing Heaving of Plant Crowns
and Roots
Mulching
Technique
To
be most effective, mulch should be placed
two to four inches deep and extend as far
as possible from the base of the tree (at
least two feet for young trees), keeping
at least four inches from trunk. When possible
mulch should extend two to three times the
branch spread (dripline) of the tree. The
thickness of the mulch layer is important.
Do not over mulch! Mulching five to six inches
thick may inhibit gas exchange between soil
and air.
Why
do we need to put down new mulch every
year or every other year?
Cypress
Lawn Specialists, Inc. offers a premium hardwood
mulch to our clients. Although there
are several types of mulch available, we
believe a 2” to 2 ½” layer
of hardwood mulch provides the best protection
against erosion, moisture loss, weed growth
and declining soil structure. Being
an organic mulch, the hardwood does breakdown
slowly. As it breaks down, it adds
valuable nutrients to the soil and improves
the soil structure adding to the air spaces
and water availability so critical to plant
health. This, of course, means that
the mulch layer needs to be replenished. The
frequency of reapplication depends on many
factors such as the amount of moisture applied
to the mulch which actually assists in the
breakdown, and on the amount of foot traffic.
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