Can Too Much Mulch Kill Your Tree?

You’d have to look far and wide to find a property owner in Massachusetts who doesn’t carry on something of a love affair with their trees. From the towering Eastern white pine to the gorgeous Spanish oak, the state is filled with a fantastic assortment of specimens. It’s only natural for property owners to want to help their trees grow and thrive. Unfortunately, even if your intentions are good, you could be going overboard with your care to the point where you cause irreversible tree damage in Newton, MA.

Take, for example, mulch damage to your tree. Year after year, homeowners do unintentional harm to their favorite trees without even realizing it.

The benefits of mulch

There are numerous reasons to use mulch to preserve the wellbeing of the trees on your property. When applied in the right amount, mulch has several benefits:

• Mulch cuts down on weeds’ ability to grow.
• Mulch attracts earthworms that aerate the soil and provide much-needed nutrients.
• Mulch retains water.
• Mulch helps insulate your soil during the winter and keeps it cool during the summer.

Those are just some of the benefits that mulch can bring to your lawn and garden, whether you’re applying it at the base of a tree or as a covering for your flower beds.

Too much of a good thing

As much help as mulch can provide, if you pile it too high, you can cause more problems than you solve. Too much mulch can suffocate the roots near the top of your soil, preventing them from gathering valuable water and nutrients. What moisture is able to seep under the mulch is held there, against the base of your tree trunk. When that happens, it’s a recipe for mulch damage to trees in Newton, MA. It’s only a matter of time until your rot and decay begin to form. This can ultimately kill the tree entirely.

How to mulch your tree

Fortunately, you don’t have to play a guessing game when the time comes to mulch your trees. Simply pay attention to the following steps, and you can’t go wrong. Start by removing any grass from around the base of your tree for about three feet. Don’t pile your mulch higher than four inches above the soil. Finally, make sure to keep the mulch from touching the base of your tree to prevent unnecessary water retention.

Your tree care professionals

Don’t take chances with over-mulching your trees in Newton, MA. Come to BBD Tree Service, a family owned and operated business with a reputation for excellence two decades strong. We offer a wide range of services, including tree trimming, cutting and removal.

We’re proud members of the Newton community, which is why we’re happy to offer 24-hour-a-day emergency service. Whether you need a dangerous branch trimmed or you need a cat rescued from a tree, you can count on BBD Tree Service for reliable, efficient care, all the time, every time. That’s our promise to you.

Pick up the phone today and give us a call for your free estimate!

Categorised in: Landscaping Tips

This post was written by Writer