With warmer weather finally arriving, homeowners and businesses with lush lawns may all be looking into the benefits of investing in some mulch to place around their shrubs and trees. This would be a wise call: landscapers very much understand the benefits of mulching around trees, a regular process that can help with stimulating growth and protecting from high heat. For a sense of why you should mulch around trees, see this list of benefits below.
Increased Growth
Creating a ring of mulch around a tree that is new or younger than ten years old is the best way to stimulate growth once the tree is planted. Mulch can lead to faster growing trees, sometimes even doubling the speed of maturity. To get this increased growth, you only need to mulch three to six feet out from a tree, spreading it in a single layer evenly around the circumference of your plant.
Better Water Intake
Mulch will decrease water competition; this means that when grass may spring up around your tree, the mulch protects your tree from competing plants. This leads to more efficient water intake; the trees won’t be battling the grass for water, and instead the rain or hose water can go straight to your tree and make the roots stronger. Mulch also slows evaporation, retaining water to feed your tree.
Stronger Roots
Mulching around trees also creates stronger roots; the mulch adds a layer of protection over the tree so that its roots won’t be trampled. Additionally, the mulch keeps roots nice and temperate, absorbing heat in the summer and providing a layer of warmth to snow in the winter so that the roots can be kept at adequate, mild temperatures. The mulch also conserves moisture, supplying it to roots as needed in dryer periods to help the tree grow.
Protected Base
A layer of mulch around your tree can help eliminate potential damage from mowers and trimmers. The mulch acts as a clear divider between grass or flower beds and the tree, signifying where lawn mowers should keep their distance and that children should not step on these mulched areas. This keeps the tree in a more natural-like state: undisturbed and peaceful so it can grow tall and strong.
Minimal Weeds
Mulch makes it harder for weeds to pierce through their surface. Not only are weeds an eye soar, detracting from the splendor of your mighty tree, but they also suck up water and absorb key nutrients. This can stymie the longevity and growth of a tree, and as such mulch is vital in keeping weed growth to a minimum.