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Mulch Madness: 5 Common Mulching Mistakes

Resources: Tree Maintenance

Mulching can be greatly beneficial to your trees but if you don’t mulch correctly you could do more harm than good to your trees and shrubs. Read on to learn the 5 most common mulching mistakes and what you should do instead.

1) Mulch Volcanoes/Mulching Too Close To The Base

We’ve talked about mulch volcanoes before; they are the most common mulching mistake. You can see examples of mulch volcanoes in most shopping centers and front yards, many landscapers are even guilty of this type of mulching. Mulch Volcano is an industry nickname for piling mulch up at the base of the tree. This may look pretty and like what you’re used to seeing but it’s very detrimental to your tree. Mulch Volcanoes can cause increased susceptibility to insects & diseases, girdling root systems, root rot, and even rodent issues. Watch a video on the effects of mulch volcanoes.

Instead: Allow the base of the tree and the tree flare to be exposed.

2) Using Too Much Mulch

Even if your mulch isn’t piled up in a mulch volcano it is still possible to use too much mulch.  Too much mulch can have negative side effects.   1) Your trees feeder roots t come closer to the surface which will cause stress to your tree when the summer heat kicks up or when the winter cold approaches. 2) Your tree’s roots may suffocate. With large amounts of mulch piled over your tree’s roots, your tree may not be able to access the oxygen it needs to survive.

Instead:  Aim for 2-4 inches of mulch.

3) Using Fabric & Plastic Weed Barriers

Many homeowners have been taught to lay down plastic or fabric tarps before mulching to keep the weeds away.  Unfortunately, these don’t work as intended and can even have some negative side effects. These weed barriers can end up strangling plants and shrubs as they try to grow and negating the aeration benefit of mulch that reduces soil compaction.

Instead: Forego the weed barriers this year. Proper mulching itself will help keep out weeds.

4) Getting Free or Cheap Mulch

Many waste departments and landfills offer free or cheap mulch, which can be very tempting for homeowners wanting to keep their costs down. But beware of free or cheap mulch that comes from city waste departments.  These types of mulch can contain pesticides, dangerous tree diseases or pests, or even weed seeds.

Instead: Make sure you know what goes into making your mulch and buy from a trustworthy source.

5) Not Mulching

Mulching provides numerous benefits to trees. Mulching insulates the soil helping to provide a buffer from heat and cold temperatures, retains water helping to keep the roots moist, keeps out weeds to help prevent root competition, prevents soil compaction, and reduces lawn mower damage. By not mulching you’re passing up a simple opportunity to improve the health and overall appeal of your landscape.

Instead: Mulch this spring!

Learn more about tree mulching

Don’t want to deal with making sure you’re mulching correctly? Ask your arborist about adding mulching to you canopy protection program by calling our office at 703.573.3029 or booking an appointment online.

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Google Reviews

Grey Burkhart
Grey Burkhart
March 29, 2022.
Verified
Very professional review of our requirements and an accurate estimate. Showed up on time and were finished quickly. Cleaned up all of the debris and sawdust. Great job all around.
Dennis Bruns
Dennis Bruns
March 8, 2022.
Verified
We have used RTEC Treecare for several years. They do excellent work. Their staff is extremely knowledgeable and take great care in explaining the various options available for your particular situation. I highly recommend them.
Annette Iannucci
Annette Iannucci
February 23, 2022.
Verified
We have been using RTEC for years and were very pleased with the recent tree maintenance work they did for us. As always, we got good advice from their arborist Ben,. The crew that did the work is highly skilled, and they did a great job trimming our trees. They worked safely and efficiently, in addition to leaving the yard clean after they finished the work.
Susan Crawford
Susan Crawford
January 26, 2022.
Verified
RTEC was at my house today to removed a large Magnolia that was badly damaged by the recent snow. They did a fantastic job at a very reasonable price. They arrived right on time, worked efficiently and quickly and cleaned up so well it was hard to tell anything have been disturbed. Over the past several years, I have used RTEC for all the services I checked above, and have always been very pleased with their service and professionalism. I also appreciate that they are not eager to take down trees that don't need to come down. In this case, the damage was too extensive for the tree to recover.
Kenton Morgan
Kenton Morgan
January 20, 2022.
Verified
Once again, RTEC has done a great job. The team showed up right on time and performed all the work that we agreed to. They kept us informed as to progress, coordinated with us concerning our maple, and made recommendations concerning ongoing support for our trees. At the end of the day, they thoroughly cleaned up the debris and left our yard in pristine condition. WELL DONE.
Jean Kluttz
Jean Kluttz
January 3, 2022.
Verified
Not our first time but this time was tricky removal of a large dead tree leaning on a healthy tree. Quick response for estimate, good timing to removal, all clear and healthy tree still fine.
Jerry Haggin
Jerry Haggin
December 16, 2021.
Verified
Very good work while ensuring that I was aware of status of my work order and planned completion.
Mike Iger
Mike Iger
December 16, 2021.
Verified
David Roberts
David Roberts
December 15, 2021.
Verified
We’ve used RTEC for many years for tree maintenance and can’t say enough good things about their service. We use them for tree trimming and for regular treatments to maintain our trees’ health and deal with pests and prevent disease. Their arborist Ben has been especially helpful with advice. RTEC also been especially helpful in emergency situations, once coming to cable a massive, heritage oak in our yard right before a hurricane was about to hit. Highly recommend.
Travis Larson
Travis Larson
December 10, 2021.
Verified
RTEC did an excellent job onsite of removing dead branches from our 80+ year old trees, and trimming other growth too close to our home.
Google rating score: 4.8 of 5, based on 185 reviews.

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