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TREE CARE TIPS: THE IMPORTANCE OF MULCHING

mulch around birch trees in an Edmonton yard

Having a beautiful yard is all about creating the best environment possible for your trees, flowers and other vegetation to thrive. One of the most important steps in tree care you can take to create a great environment for your plants is to place mulch around them.

At All Season Tree Service in Edmonton, we like to help our community grow the healthiest trees they can, whether that means diagnosing sick trees, remediating trees that would do better elsewhere in your yard or explaining the importance of mulching.


WHAT IS MULCH EXACTLY?

Technically, mulch is any layer of material placed on the surface of your soil. If this definition seems a little broad, it’s because there are a lot of different kinds of and uses for mulch in diverse areas such as home gardens and commercial farms. For the average yard, however, mulch is typically used to protect and insulate garden beds and the soil around trees. Having a protective layer over your soil keeps moisture in the ground, prevents weeds from growing around your plants and depleting the nutrients in the earth, and also adds to the beauty of your yard.

Mulch can be made out of a lot of different things, both organic and inorganic. Although using rubber or plastic to insulate your soil is certainly possible, most homeowners prefer to avoid artificial materials in their gardens. Some people use grass clippings, hay, straw, or sawdust if they have these materials lying around. These have a tendency to fly away in strong winds, however, so most gardeners purchase mulch made from ground-up wood chips.


WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO MULCH A GARDEN OR TREE?

All that’s required to mulch a tree is to remove a circle of grass (with a radius of at least three feet) away from it. Once the grass is removed, you just lay down whatever mulch you prefer in an even layer.


Mulching is fairly easy to do but there are a few things you should know before laying it down. Providing insulation for your plants is important but you don’t want to go overboard. Only lay down an inch or two of mulch around your trees and in your gardens. Also, be sure when mulching to leave some space between the mulch and the trunk of your tree. If you neglect to do so, it will harm the tree’s ability to grow.


If you are unsure if mulching is right for your trees, or if you just want to know more about caring for your trees and cultivating a gorgeous yard, contact us at All Season Tree Service in the Edmonton area today. We have a wide service area and provide a variety of tree care services with expertise to help you make your trees thrive.

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