Good afternoon, my reader. Trunk circles are mulched using materials that can be both organic and inorganic. Organic matter will provide not only protection, but also additional nutrition, improvement of the structure of the earth and will ensure full penetration of air to the roots. Common types of mulch have both advantages and disadvantages, for the right choice you need to know all of them.
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Dry foliage
As mulch, it is allowed to use exclusively dry leaves not damaged by diseases. Leaf litter will improve the structure of the earth, enrich it with nutrients, humus.
But before using dry foliage as mulch, you need to compost it. In winter, pests can settle in this type of mulch, which can cause irreparable harm to the tree.
Needles
The needles are ideal for trees growing on low acidity soil. This type of coating will provide full protection not only from frost, but also from rodents that can chew on the bark and expose the tree trunk.
The disadvantages include the high content of resins in coniferous mulch, which negatively affects the processes that regularly occur in the soil.
Wood shavings, sawdust
Capable of acidifying soil and retaining snow. The process of their decomposition does not allow nitrogen to fully penetrate into the root system, which adversely affects the green cover of the tree and its active growth.
To obtain a useful mulch, sawdust and shavings are kept for 2 years with sand, with the addition of nitrogen-containing fertilizers and dolomite flour.
Grass
The cut grass as mulch helps to improve the structure of the earth around the tree, but also enriches the earth with carbon. Using a thick layer of cut grass can create a rotting mass that will burn the root system. It is important to lay this type of mulch in a thin layer.
Hay
The high nutritional value of this material and the ability to quickly become humus enriches the soil with trace elements, minerals and other nutrients.
The disadvantages are that rotting hay attracts slugs and rodents. Hay often contains weed seeds that sprout abundantly in spring. It was observed that after using hay as mulch, trees and shrubs woke up longer in the spring. This is due to the fact that hay does not allow the sun's rays to fully warm the soil.
Bark and slivers
These materials are placed as a second layer on pre-decomposed compost. Suitable for mature trees.
Requires ventilation before use to get rid of the toxins in it. It can cause a nitrogen deficiency in the soil, which requires the use of nitrogen-containing fertilizers.
Cut cardboard, paper
They belong to inorganic species, are used as an additional bottom layer when mulching with foliage or cut grass, compost. Being an inorganic material, they cannot saturate the soil with useful substances.
Agrofiber
This covering material is able to pass air and moisture through itself, but not frost. Does not allow the formation of a soil crust, does not allow violations of drainage and soil aeration.
The only drawback is the need to regularly remove agrofibre in the spring for watering, loosening, top dressing.
Pebbles, stones, gravel
Maintains the level of moisture in the soil necessary for full development. It looks original in the garden, but does not allow useful organic matter to accumulate in the soil.
Compost
Many gardeners find that compost is the best mulch for tree trunks. Its abilities are not limited to providing full protection, it also improves the structure of the earth, saturates it with macro- and microelements, provides drainage, and does not delay evaporation.
It is easy to prepare compost yourself, which will allow you to get a quality product that will protect the garden from diseases, pests, and weeds.
Do you know how to mulch tree trunks right?
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