Do You Need to Mulch Around Trees?

Planting trees requires hard work and careful thought and making sure your tree thrives requires careful attention. Many homeowners and property managers wonder if they should mulch trees for optimal health and growth. Although the amount needed depends on the age of the tree, it is always a good idea to spread natural mulch around your spruce and deciduous trees. You can buy the best lawn mulch through various online sources.

When mulch is spread around the base of the tree, it controls soil temperature and reduces weeds. Cooler soil means less watering and healthier, happier tree roots. This results in better growth and thriving trees with more strength to resist disease and pests.

Weeds can be a problem, especially around young seedlings. Aggressive weeds deplete valuable water and nutrients from the soil, leaving your tree hungry and susceptible to slow growth and various diseases. You can remove these weeds until they germinate, but mulch acts as an effective barrier against weed growth from seed.

Choose organic mulch to improve soil quality and increase oxygen levels over time. Inorganic mulch reduces weeds and water but is non-destructive, adds nutrients, and increases area aeration.

Spread 2 to 4 inches of mulch around the base of the tree, being careful not to place the mulch on the trunk. This can easily cause problems with mold and insects instead of improving the health of your tree. Spreading mulch more than 6 inches thick or applying it to tree bark will create problems.