How to mulch around baby trees?

IaLeo · Jul 24, 2015

Have several trees less than knee high. Have about 18" sod hole around them, a removable 18" dia.wire cage around them. I now have come by free wood chip mulch and have never used that stuff before. Thinking of pulling off the cages and putting down wood chips in a 36" circle and putting cage back over them. Do I dare let the chips touch the trees? Do I need to mix anything with the chips? Do I need to mess with Roundup to kill the sod under the chips? Never grew trees before and what with buck deer, does, winter kill and under or overwatering, managed to get only about a 50 per cent survival.

What is your experience? Btw way, mostly spruces.

Rick Kr · Jul 24, 2015

Mulch around a tree is a good thing. It will help retain some moisture. It will help hold back the weeds.
Your trees will grow better not having to compete for nutrients with weeds.
Wood mulch does not take nitrogen out of the soil as a lot of people say. If you incorporate (plow/till in) it may, but not as a surface bedding.
It wouldnt hurt to hit the sod with roundup first, but a thick enough mulch bed should slow most sod. Remember dont build what most landscapers call mulch volcanos. 8-10 inch mounds around a tree, then tapering back down towards the trunk. These huge volcanos can also be a home for mice, etc.

I have around 6000 landscape trees. 5000 spruce and 1000 deciduous.

GordoSD · Jul 24, 2015

Apply the RU around the base. Then build your "moat" A little hill up to the tree trunk with dirt bank around the perimeter. You want your water to wet the roots, not the soil next to the trunk which will allow the trunk to move around in sod mud.
If it's easy to get a hose to all of them don't worry about mulch. Just amp up the watering. If you have to water with some sort of tank then go ahead and mulch.

keh · Jul 24, 2015

I have always heard that piling mulch, or dirt, close and high around a tree will kill it. A man near me has piled up wood chips over a foot around some planted trees in his yard. One of them has died. Planting instructions with bought fruit or yard trees say not to plant the tree deeper than the original dirt line. I don't think in the OPscase he should put more than a couple of inches of wood chips around his trees. The mound of dirt "volcano" style to conserve moisture sounds fine.

KEH

rustyfarmall · Jul 24, 2015

Mulch is probably okay around a young tree, but as the tree grows and matures the mulch needs to go away. If moisture is TOO readily available, the tree will never develop a good root system, and will not be able to support itself in high winds.

GordoSD · Jul 24, 2015

They need to be staked also. Tie them to stakes with cloth strips cut from rags.

Dick2 · Jul 24, 2015

According to Roger Cook, landscaper on This Old House, the answer is do not get the mulch close to the tree. If the mulch is around the tree, the root system will not develop correctly as the roots tend to circle the tree instead of growing out and around. He showed examples on the show.

That episode may be still available on the TOH website.

john in la · Jul 24, 2015

Since this will contradict what some others have said I will just provide a link so you can read what a expert says on the subject.
Proper Mulching

mtf · Jul 24, 2015

Only use the wood chips if they are composted. Green wood chips will only absorb the available nitrogen. Stakes are not needed. Don't fertilize them. Wire cages for trees that small are necessary as the deer will work them over especially spruce! Nathan

Geo-TH,In · Jul 25, 2015

I find the rabbits eat more young trees than dear in the winter. Make a chicken wire cage to keep critters away.

I get free wood chips from tree trimmers, but there may be sticks and branches too, but they are free.

They sell a plastic tub to protect wood chips from coming in contact with tree. I just put chips next to tree.

Wood chips don't last very long. Long term I plant flowers around trees. Tiger lilies around smaller trees. Irises for established trees, because irises have a very shallow root system

FBH44 · Jul 25, 2015

My experience is don't put mulch right against the trunk, it will damage the trunk. DO put the mulch layer 3' or so diameter sround the trunk, but don't touch the trunk. . I have not had bunnies damage my trunks, but i can sure see them doing it. I HAVE had lots of male deer love to scrape their antlers, and destroy perfect 1-inch diameter trunks. I cut several 6' tall saplings and strap them around the new trunks, as barriers. Sometimes I strap several T-post fence posts up as barriers. I make it difficult for the bucks to get to the trunks. If I don't, I comew out some nice morning and they've destroyed things.

NoNewParts · Jul 25, 2015

not an answer but related.
I plant a lot of trees, fighting the rabbits and deer that 'sample' them by biting the trunk off...and leaving it there...
near 2 Great Lakes, so gotta stake everything.....
gotta mulch everything cuz of the clay....
Ain't trees fun? LOL

ok, mulch....best by far that I have ever used is from the rabbit raisers. Their bedding mixed with their waste...doesn't even stink.
Trees go grow crazy with it.
And if you are a fisherman, worms love it too.
(4-H shows are a good place to meet the serious rabbit people and they always are looking to get rid of the waste.)

ps to protect trunks, top/bottom cut off a clear plastic soda bottle works good....couple right over baby trees, split em for evergreens to get them on. They come in different sizes and only cost a nickel.......

How to mulch around baby trees?

IaLeo

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Rick Kr

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GordoSD

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keh

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rustyfarmall

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GordoSD

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Dick2

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john in la

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mtf

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Geo-TH,In

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FBH44

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NoNewParts

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