In Montana’s harsh climate your trees need all the help they can get to grow strong and healthy. While Yard Guard offers a range of services to help with this, there are also some steps you can take yourself to help your trees feel their best! 

The first is proper watering. See our previous blog post here for more information regarding the amount of water your trees need throughout the seasons. Another step you can take is to mulch around your trees.

Benefits

• Moisture Retention: A layer of mulch around the base of your trees helps prevent water in the soil from evaporating by blocking direct sunlight and wind. Additionally, weeds and grass around the base of the tree will compete with the tree for water, soaking it up from the surface before it has a chance to reach the tree’s roots. Replacing vegetation with mulch will allow more water to reach the deeper roots of the tree.

• Temperature Regulation: The mulch acts as an insulator for the soil around your tree, helping the roots stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

• Damage Prevention: Having a ring of mulch around the tree prevents weed-wackers and other equipment from coming into contact with the trunk and causing damage.

Types of Mulch
A variety of materials can be used to mulch, such as stones or rubber. However, mulches made from organic materials will provide the most benefits for your tree as they mimic the natural environment of a forest and provide additional nutrients to the tree as they decompose. Bark and wood chips are the most common types of organic mulch. Grass clippings, leaves, sawdust and pine needles can also be used, but are typically less aesthetically pleasing and/or harder to obtain. 

Did you know? The City of Bozeman offers a free mulch program! Click this link for more information https://www.bozeman.net/departments/parks-and-recreation/forestry/free-mulch-program

How to Apply
Spread the mulch to a depth of 3-4” inches. (This is the recommended depth for our dry mountain climate.)  Too little mulch will not provide many benefits, and too much may lead to moisture related diseases. 

DO NOT pile the mulch up around the tree trunk. This is also known as a “mulch volcano” and it can cause decay and fungi on the trunk. Make sure you push the mulch back away from the base of the tree after you have spread it. You want to be able to see the flare at the base of the tree’s trunk. 

 

The circle of mulch should extend out to the drip line of the tree. The drip line is where the tree canopy ends. As your younger trees grow, you should enlarge the circle accordingly. 

Organic mulch decomposes over time, so you will want to replenish it with fresh mulch on a yearly basis. 

With properly installed mulch, your trees will be better protected from weeds, drought, and Montana’s extreme temperature swings. Combined with proper watering, it can be a great way to improve the health and growth of your trees. Happy mulching!!