Going away on holidays this summer? Don’t forget to look after your trees before you go. Heat stress is a common cause of tree death during Canberra’s scorching summers, so we recommend mulching around your trees to prevent any damage. When done properly, mulching is one of the best tools for maintaining a tree’s health. TreeWorks has created a list of mulching benefits and outlines the best mulching method below.
Reasons to mulch:
Mulching creates healthy soils similar to those found in the natural environment where leaves and branches cover the soil surface and decompose, allowing nutrients to replenish. This also encourages root growth. Mulching is important in urban landscapes and backyards where soils are typically compact and lacking organic matter. Reasons to mulch include:
- Maintains soil moisture and moderates soil temperatures
- Aerates the soil as it decomposes
- Improves soil fertility and structure
- Prevents growth of weeds
Mulching method:
Our experts recommend the following:
- Choose an organic mulch such as leaves or compost mixes
- Apply a 2-to-4-inch layer of mulch
- Use less mulch if the soil is poorly drained, or if using a finely textured or double-shredded mulch
- Ensure the outermost edge of the tree’s canopy is covered
- Leave mulch material away from the tree’s trunk by allowing the area where the trunk meets the soil (the root flare) to show. Over-mulching can cause major health problems for trees
TreeWorks is a leading tree services business operating in Canberra, Monaro, and Southern Tablelands. We are a fully licensed, Evoenergy accredited & insured tree surgery company and a member of Arboriculture Australia. Our climbers are appropriately trained and some of our arborists have over 25 years experience in large scale tree surgery and removals. Call 1800 873 343 or book online for a free on-site tree health and safety inspection.