"Never pile mulch against the trunks of trees. The dreaded “volcano mulch” so often seen is damaging, Ms. Janoski said, trapping moisture against the bark and inviting pests, disease and decay.Keep mulch about four or five inches away from the trunk. You want to see the root flare — the spot where the base broadens, just above the soil line. A maximum of three or four inches depth, using a medium-textured mulch, is recommended."
More tips re tree care at The New York Times, which recommends The Morton Arboretum as a superb source for information about the care of trees.
The Morton is amazing on so many topics, and a great place to spend a day. I miss it…
ReplyDeleteI'm an Openlands Treekeeper and this drives me crazy. A big problem is that many landscaping companies have trained their employees that this is the right way to do things. I'll mulch a tree properly and then the 'professionals' will come through and build the volcano.
ReplyDeletehttps://openlands.org/what-we-do/trees/treekeepers/
DeleteAlso, if you have a pine tree do not rake up the droppings of needles around the base. However much it offends you it is still necessary as there is a fungus the tree depends on.
ReplyDeletethose needle droppings also are a breeding ground for tasty boletes and other mushrooms.
DeleteI-)