How To Properly Mulch – Ag Matters
Many of us mulch around trees and shrubs for the beauty and to eliminate the need to weed around them. It's imperative to do it properly for healthy growth. Here's some tips from the Master Gardeners at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oneida County.
No matter what you use for mulch; wood chips, bark mulch or stones don't mound it like a volcano around the base of a tree and the trunk; this can lead to death of a tree.
Spread the mulch 3 to 4 inches deep in a circle at least 3 feet in diameter around young trees and shrubs. Then brush away the mulch at the center of the circle so that it is several inches from the base. A slight depression in the center is OK. Think lunar crater not Mt. Volcano. Even if you keep it away from the tree trunk, spreading the mulch deeper than 4 inches can create shallow, vulnerable root systems. As your trees grow, extend the mulch to the edge of the tree’s canopy.
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