# Mulch and Mature Trees



## zinger565 (Nov 28, 2017)

I've seen a lot of talk lately about mulch around young trees. I get the purpose of it for them. However, living in a 98 year old house, we have some pretty old trees, should I be putting mulch around their base too?


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## Ecks from Tex (Apr 26, 2018)

Oak trees? Nah

Other trees? Maybe

Cedar, pine, spruce, etc? Nope

For the most part no. If it ain't broke don't fix it


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## zinger565 (Nov 28, 2017)

Ecks from Tex said:


> Oak trees? Nah
> 
> Other trees? Maybe
> 
> ...


 :thumbup: Sounds good.


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## TulsaFan (May 1, 2017)

zinger565 said:


> I've seen a lot of talk lately about mulch around young trees. I get the purpose of it for them. However, living in a 98 year old house, we have some pretty old trees, should I be putting mulch around their base too?


No. I made this mistake with a Ginkgo tree I planted. Everything was fine until I added a stone tree ring and filled in the ring with dirt and mulch. It is documented across the web how bad volcano mulching mounds can lead to girdling roots and the early death of trees. I never noticed tree trunk flare until my issue. Now, I see the lack of it everywhere on lawns being cared for by professionals.

This blog explains it pretty well:

"What's worse is that mulch rings encourage over-mulching at the base of trees, one of the worst things you can do for your tree. The area where the trunk of the tree hits the ground is called the root flare. When you bury the root flare under mulch or dirt, it encourages the roots to grow upwards instead of outwards. Roots that grow up are especially dangerous, as they often wrap around the trunk and girdle the tree. If you have a trees buried under a volcano of mulch, it is gasping for air. Dig it out and expose the flare." ﻿


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## ryeguy (Sep 28, 2017)

The above quote is simply saying: don't overdo it. It isn't saying don't apply mulch. I don't see how that's a hard "No.".

OP, the simple answer is to do it if you want, but don't cover shallow roots and don't cover the root flare.


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## TulsaFan (May 1, 2017)

ryeguy said:


> The above quote is simply saying: don't overdo it. It isn't saying don't apply mulch. I don't see how that's a hard "No.".


Good Point...I didn't clarify what I meant...I didn't mean for it to be a "hard" no to mulch. I meant a "hard" no to a volcano mulch mound which you see often.

FYI...I did add mulch to my tree after I removed the dirt and stone tree ring. Don't tell @BXMurphy, but I am a big fan of mulch AND flowers.


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## zinger565 (Nov 28, 2017)

Thanks guys. I'll probably leave them alone. The trees are fairly mature, the youngest being 10-15yrs and the oldest probably near the 25yr old range. They look good and healthy. I just always fear mowing and trimming around them because I've seen big trees killed by mower accidents.


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## BXMurphy (Aug 5, 2017)

TulsaFan said:


> FYI...I did add mulch to my tree after I removed the dirt and stone tree ring. Don't tell BXMurphy, but I am a big fan of mulch AND flowers.


My ears are BURNING! 

So, I am looking at all these parking lots with mulched-over traffic islands and thinking, "Gee, why don't they just cement them over and paint them brown?" You just know that they will be weed-infested eyesores in just two months.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

@BXMurphy I'm still waiting to see your flower beds.


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## BXMurphy (Aug 5, 2017)

g-man said:


> @BXMurphy I'm still waiting to see your flower beds.


I glyphed 'em down this last weekend! Just a weed-infested mess. Same thing every stinkin, year, too.

It is going to be a challenge but I think I am up to it with what I learned on TLF.

I don't know from flowers but I'm going to pack them in and hit it with Snapshot. That should do it... 

(NICE write-up on the cool season lawn care guide at the top of the forum, BTW!!!!!)


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