clearing property for building

Mulching around your landscape trees will minimize weed competition and help keep the soil moist by slowing evaporation. You can have all the mulch you need delivered, but first, the area around the trees must be prepared.

1. Determine the Mulch Zone

The mulch should cover the root zone of the tree in order to provide the most benefits, but the root zone can stretch out as far as the branches in the tree's canopy. This means the root zone can stretch out several yards from the trunk, but the main mass of roots will be nearer to the trunk. At a bare minimum, the mulch should spread out at least a few feet from the base of the trunk in all directions so that it covers the majority of the main root ball mass without taking up too much lawn area. 

2. Measure the Mulch Needs

An overly thin layer of mulch won't do much to suppress weeds or conserve soil moisture, but a too-thick layer can prevent irrigation water and oxygen from making its way into the soil. A depth of 3 or 4 inches is usually enough to provide benefits without being too deep and causing problems. To determine how much mulch you need, multiply the square footage of the area to be mulched by the depth of mulch you need. 

3. Clear and Prep the Area

Remove any weeds or turf from around the base of the tree before the mulch delivery arrives. The mulch is more effective at suppressing sprouting new weeds as opposed to smothering out mature ones. Don't lay down landscaping cloth or similar, as it can become entangled with surface roots or even suffocate them. Level the soil as best as you can, but work with care so as to avoid damaging any roots near the surface.

4. Consider Border Edging

One concern with mulch around trees is that the mulch will travel into the neighboring lawn. Border edging helps keep the mulch in place. You can use any type of edging you like, including rubber or plastic strips, bricks, or a poured concrete edge. The material should penetrate deeply enough into the soil so that the edging won't become damaged due to frost heave in winter, and it should protrude 3 inches or more so that the mulch can be properly contained. 

Once the prep work is done, you can schedule your mulch delivery. Clear a spot on the driveway for the service to place the mulch and make sure you have the tools you need, like a wheelbarrow, to complete the job.

For more information about mulch services, contact a local company.