Trees and mature landscaping can represent 10% of your property value, so preventative maintenance is a wise investment. Here are some basics:
Mulch
Mulch simulates the leaf litter of the forest floor. It provides numerous health benefits.- First, mulch acts as a protective barrier against direct sunlight, minimizing water loss through evaporation from the soil surface, thus conserving soil moisture. Mulch also protects against extreme heat, further conserving soil moisture and preventing water stress in plants.
- Second, mulch breaks down and slowly adds nutrients and organic matter to the soil, improving soil structure and soil health, and thus plant health.
- Third, mulch protects the soil from erosion by reducing the impact of heavy rain and wind on the soil surface, preventing the loss of precious topsoil.
- Fourth, mulch prevents weed growth which would otherwise compete against trees for soil moisture and nutrients. And by preventing weeds, this keeps the lawnmower and weedwhacker away from the tree trunk. I’ve seen a lot of trunks on young, thin barked trees scarred by lawnmowers and weedwhackers. This is a great way for disease causing organisms to infect trees.
- And fifth, mulch adds visual appeal to the landscape. It defines planting beds and creates a uniform look, enhancing aesthetics.
- For all of these reasons, mulch is a wise investment. By improving soil health, and thus plant health, mulch is a type of preventative maintenance, making your trees and other plants more resilient against attack from insects and disease.
- When applying mulch, it is very important to avoid piling mulch against the trunk. This is called volcano mulching and it can be detrimental to tree health, but unfortunately, it seems to be the norm. Remember that mulch should never be piled against the trunk, otherwise moisture accumulates, softening the bark on the trees trunk and allowing disease-causing organisms to penetrate more easily. Mulch piled up too high also encourages roots to grow around the trunk which can easily strangle the trunk and kill the tree as the roots increase in diameter.
- The best mulch is hardwood wood chips and should be applied 3 inches thick. A layer thicker than that can be too much and suffocate the tree. Thoroughly water the new mulch after applying, or else the first few rainfalls won’t get past the mulch to the tree roots.
Pruning
- Pruning is a form of preventative maintenance because pruning for proper structure prevents limb failure which prevents major wounds, in turn preventing infection that shortens the life of the tree.
- Link to webinar on pruning for proper structure.
