Adding a mulch around the base of your trees is an important part of Tree Care that is often overlooked.
Mulch helps trees get established by moderating the soil temperatures, conserving soil moisture, suppressing weed growth and discourages injury from lawn mowers and weed-whips.
Mulches also promote water and air percolation into the backfilled soil surrounding newly-planted trees.
A properly installed mulch should have a doughnut shaped appearance. This is done by pulling the mulch material away from the trunk and base of the tree, leaving no more than 2.5 cm of mulch covering the root-ball or planting hole, with no mulch within 10 cm of the trunk.
Do not pile mulch in a “volcano-like” manner against the trunk. Doing so may cause decay of the living bark at the base of the tree, create a favourable environment for fungi growth, and restrict water and oxygen infiltration to the roots.
Use 7.6 -10 cm of organic mulch, such as wood or bark chips, to cover the soil surface just beyond the back-filled soil in the planting hole. Mulch should extend at least 60 cm from the trunk in all directions.
Wet the mulch slowly, but thoroughly, to settle the particles into place around the tree.
Replenish the mulch as needed throughout the growing season.
The type of mulch used is a personal choice.
Choose a mulch that has medium sized particles without colours or dyes.
References:
Maple Leaves Forever (April, 2017) Planting Container-Grown Native Maples [Online] Toronto, ON
www.mapleleavesforever.ca/planting-container-grown-native-maples
Arbor Day Foundation (April, 2014) Tree Planting Guide [Online], Nebraska City, NE 68410
www.arborday.org/trees/planting/
Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (2017) CANADIAN NURSERY STOCK STANDARDS 2017, Arnold Heuver and Glen Lumis, 9th Edition, [Online] Milton, ON
cnla.ca/uploads/pdf/Canadian-Nursery-Stock-Standard-9th-ed-web.pdf
University of Illinois (July, 2005) Mulch Volcanoes [Online] Urbana, IL, 61801
extension.illinois.edu/gardenerscorner/issue_07/spring_05_11.cfm