Mulching Properly with your Forest Tree Mulcher

Mulching is an established practice for enhancing gardens and landscaping alike. We know that using mulch, whether it is store bought or mulch from your forest tree mulcher, can have extensive environmental benefits. Mulching certainly improves the garden’s appearance, but it also helps prevent weeds and helps to fertilize the soil as it decomposes. However, what most people are not aware of is that improper mulching practices can cause much more harm than good.

While mulch does decompose and will need to be re-mulched at some point, piling too thick of a mulch layer on top of your soil can be damaging. Most people only want to replenish the mulch because it gives the garden a fresher look. If all you desire is a refreshed look but the mulch is already in a sufficiently thick layer, aerate the mulch with a rake or manually to break it up creating that “just mulched” look. There is no need to layer on new mulch from your forest tree mulcher.

A forest tree mulcher often creates coarser mulch, but if you are using fine mulch, the thickness of the layer is even more important. Fine mulch can become matted and actually encourage the growth of weeds. This matting can also prevent water and air from reaching the soil, which can be detrimental to any vegetation growth. Coarser mulch, like that from a forest tree mulcher, is less likely to create matting but it too can be piled too high and result in depletion of water and air for the soil.

Another issue with mulching is unbalancing the soil’s pH. Certain types of mulch, when used for too long a time, can create nutrient deficiencies in the soil. Some mulches release alcohols and other residual substances that can be toxic to plant life. When using the mulch from your forest tree mulcher, it is important to ensure that the type of mulch you are using agrees with your environment and your needs, as well as ensuring that you are not using the same type of mulch for long periods of time. Check if any specific plants you are planting might be affected adversely by a certain type of mulch.

Lastly, examine the area to be mulched before mulching to ensure that there will be proper water drainage. Keeping the soil moist is an important benefit of mulching, but if the mulch is too thick, it can retain excessive moisture that can lead to plant stress and eventually even rotting of the plant or tree roots. Also, when mulching around trees with the mulch from your forest tree mulcher, do not mulch too high up on the trunk. If mulch is piled too high against the trunk, rodents can sometimes make their homes there, to the detriment of your tree. You will want to mulch in such a way that the trunk and root crown are still clearly visible. In fact, a good rule of thumb is to mulch wide rather than high as a tree thrives better when more of the roots are covered by mulch instead of the trunk.

To find out more about timber mulcher parts, please contact us.