If you have already done mulching in this way, then the recommendation is simple: rake the mulch with your hands, cutting off small roots (stem tissue) that may form in such a mound. By the way, it is because of them that the tree dries out faster.
Ideally, the mulch circle should look like a donut with a hole inside. You should retreat 12-15 cm from the trunk and lay mulch 10-12 cm thick around the tree. The thickness of the layer of dry grass may be less, since it is more difficult for air to pass through.
The diameter of the mulch circle should be approximately equal to the span of the tree crown; it is precisely in this area that it is located underground root system. If you do not have the opportunity to mulch the required area, then it is possible to mulch on a smaller area, but not less than 1.5 m in diameter of the circle. But you need to know that the root system of a tree is 2 or even 3 times larger than the crown. Therefore, than large area If you cover with organic mulch, the more nutrition the roots will receive.
Lastly, it is better to use organic mulch, which promotes soil and tree health, than inorganic mulch.
Author of the article: Love
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IN organic farming Mulching is a very important technique. It allows you to preserve the fertility of the topmost and most important layer of soil for feeding the roots.
Some very diligent gardeners, after harvesting, remove weeds, dig up the soil, level the surface and leave it like that for the winter, admiring the neat appearance of the garden. It is believed that the soil is resting. However, the uncovered soil does not rest, but is destroyed.
The soil must be treated as a living being. What makes it alive is the mass of soil organisms inhabiting it - bacteria and small soil animals, which create the basis of soil fertility. When upper layer The soil dries out and freezes, the inhabitants of the soil capable of movement go into the depths, the rest die or go into a state of rest. In the spring, when it’s time to sow, the lifeless soil has difficulty supplying food. short roots sprouts.
Therefore, the main function of winter mulch is protect the top layer of soil from drying out and freezing. For winter mulching so-called coarse mulch is used. These are straw, hay, sawdust, fallen leaves, peat (not sour), post-harvest residues. The thickness of the mulch layer is 6-8 cm. After harvesting, perennial weeds are removed, the soil is loosened, compost is added and covered with mulch.
Fresh sawdust contains a lot of tannins that inhibit plant growth. That's why For winter mulching, only rotted sawdust is used. Most best material- straw and hay. They create a loose heat-protective layer and can be left on the beds throughout the summer season.
The remaining materials are poorly permeable to air, and should be removed in the spring immediately after the cessation of frost, so that they do not interfere with the warming of the soil. Coarse, semi-rotted compost can be used as mulch. They cover the soil immediately before the onset of frost, and in the spring, as soon as the soil thaws, they cover it to a depth of 10-15 cm.
All of the listed materials belong to the so-called organic mulch. In some cases, inorganic mulch is recommended - gravel, expanded clay, film. In our opinion, inorganic mulch is not suitable for winter mulching. When choosing a material, you should also keep in mind that winter mulch has completely different requirements than summer mulch.
Summer, in addition to protecting the soil surface, performs such important functions as fertilization, weed suppression, moisture conservation, etc. These requirements are well met by mown grass, weeded weeds, and black film. None of this is required from winter mulch, which is why other materials are used here.
If after harvesting early crops there is a lot of time left before the onset of frost - 1.5-2 months, the bed can be covered with living mulch - green fertilizer. Some fast-growing plant species are suitable for this, such as faba beans, mustard, oats, and wheat. In the fall, they are not removed, but left in the garden bed so that they cover the surface of the soil with their dead greenery. And in the spring it is sealed to a depth of 10-15 cm.
In addition to protecting the soil, winter mulch performs another function - protection against freezing of roots and organs perennial plants . Planting bulbs, perennial onions, and ornamental onions require mandatory mulching. The same can be said about other perennial ornamental plants.
Roots fruit trees and berry bushes may suffer from frost in winter, especially in cold, snowless winters. Therefore, it is advisable to cover the tree trunk circles with mulch for the winter, retreating half a meter from the trunk to the perimeter of the crown. For this you can use all types of mulch, including fallen leaves. However, to mulch an apple tree, it is better to use foliage of other tree species, since the leaves of the apple tree retain its characteristic pests and diseases.
You can cover under fruit trees and berry bushes with mulch for the winter. old film. Some pests overwinter in the soil (flower beetle, currant moth), and early in the spring they awaken, emerge from the soil and move onto plants. The film will make it difficult for them to move and reduce damage.
To improve the characteristics of the soil, as well as maintain the quality composition of the soil, they use tree mulching. This procedure not only protects the soil from the sun (prevents crust formation), but also keeps moisture from evaporating.
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Why mulch the soil?
First, let's figure it out what is tree mulching and why use it in garden plots. Essentially, mulching is covering the soil with special materials (mulch). All materials are divided into two groups: organic and inorganic.
Organic matter includes: wood waste (sawdust, bark, shavings), plants (freshly cut grass, straw, hay, nettles), as well as moss and pine needles. Popular inorganic mulch: paper (newsprint, cardboard), film (black, red - a foreign novelty, transparent - rarely used).
Mulching fruit trees performs the following functions:
- Insulation of the root system (the soil does not freeze);
- Reflection sun rays(if light mulch is used);
- Retaining moisture, preventing rapid evaporation;
- Weed control (they do not grow through coatings);
- Ensures soil looseness is maintained.
Experienced gardeners note that in mulched lands, trees develop more adventitious roots, which has a positive effect on their development.
So let's consider how to properly mulch trees to achieve maximum results. Since mulch will serve as a shield from environment, before covering the soil, it is advisable to add useful microelements to it and saturate it with organic matter. It is especially important to fertilize the plants if you plan to cover the soil with inorganic materials. It is necessary to cover all the tree trunk circles with mulch.
Organic coating layer thickness:
- Straw, hay, freshly cut grass – 10-15 cm;
- Nettle (finely crushed) – 5 cm;
- Sawdust – about 7 cm;
- Bark for mulching trees - from 5 cm or more;
- Moss - about 10 cm.
- Needles (rotten) – 3-5 cm.
Almost all inorganic mulch is laid in one layer (all types of film and cardboard); newsprint is laid in several layers (minimum 4). Unlike artificial turf, organic matter lasts less, but as it decomposes, it saturates the soil with useful microelements.
Let us remind you that our professional gardeners will help you mulch your garden. We will complete all work as quickly, efficiently and inexpensively as possible! :)
Peculiarities different types mulch
- Suitable for protection against severe overheating of the soil mulching trees with sawdust or other light materials. Like a mirror, they reflect the sun's rays. In addition, moisture practically does not evaporate from under the material even on hot days.
- To saturate the earth with useful microelements, you can use mulching garden trees nettle. It decomposes quickly and contains nitrogen, which has a positive effect on tree growth. Freshly cut grass is also useful, but unlike nettle, it takes a little longer to break down into useful substances.
- Mulching with tree bark used to retain moisture and for decorative purposes. It practically does not “exterminate” weeds; harmful plants grow quietly through a 3-4 cm layer of bark. Straw or hay, as well as artificial mulch, will help to overcome weeds.
- It is better to mulch trees for the winter with moss. It retains heat well, which is why moss is often used in intensive gardens, that is, areas planted with columnar trees. Thanks to the heat retention by moss, the ground practically does not freeze, which is very important for all plants with a root system close to the soil surface.
- Inorganic mulch Most often used for vapor protection. The only suitable insulation is cardboard or roofing felt (they are often used instead of film).
In order for trees to grow quickly, be strong and tall, they need care. This applies to both decorative and fruit species. If earlier the trunk circles around trees were left in the form of open areas of soil, which were dug up and fertilized in the fall and spring or covered with mulch, then in our time everything large quantity summer residents plant flowers, herbs and vegetables on them or sow lawns.
This not only decorates the garden and benefits the trees themselves, but also allows you to save area in favor of other types of plants.
To dig or not to dig?
For many gardeners, the pressing question is how to properly care for fruit trees and when to dig up the ground around them, whether to do it at all, or whether it is better to sow this area with grass. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages. Among the advantages of digging are the following:
- There will be fewer pests or they will disappear altogether.
- Since the tree trunk circle of fruit trees expands as they grow, this makes it possible to use this land profitably, for example, to plant a flower garden.
Since there are more disadvantages to digging up soil around trees, many summer residents have abandoned this practice. This is due to the fact that:
- When digging up the soil in the fall, not only pests are destroyed, but also beneficial microorganisms. For example, aerobic bacteria living on the surface require oxygen. When digging, the top layer of soil turns over and they end up underground. Deprived of oxygen, they die, and since it is aerobic bacteria that supply plants with basic nutrients, the trees are thereby deprived of elements important for life.
- When digging there is always a risk of damaging the roots. This is especially true for those that are closer to the surface and receive the necessary nutrition from it.
- Autumn digging reduces the frost resistance of trees, as the soil becomes open to the cold.
Each summer resident decides for himself how to care for his garden, but more and more people are inclined to believe that the soil around the trees is an area that can be used wisely and beneficially both for the plant and for themselves.
Flower beds and beds around trees
In light of the above, gardeners prefer to use tree trunk circles and sow them with either forbs, flowers, or healthy vegetables and spices. This has its advantages:
- Gradually, the untouched soil is enriched by the plants growing on it, which, having outlived their useful life, become natural nutrition for the tree.
- It is especially useful to sow tree trunk circles for additional insulation root system. The roots of the “neighbors” create a kind of cushion that prevents frost from penetrating into the soil.
- In summer, the lawn or flower garden protects the roots from the sun, and the tree needs less watering.
- Tree trunk circles trees filled with vegetation do not need digging or special weeding, which not only frees you from unnecessary work, but also helps preserve the fertile layer of the earth.
Considering all the advantages, more and more gardeners are using the soil around trees to plant beautiful or useful plants.
It is important to know: plants do not always combine with each other. Before planting something, you need to make sure that the “neighborhood” will be mutually beneficial. This is especially important for fruit trees, since their harvest can be significantly reduced by satellites that will have a depressing effect on them.
Types of tree trunk circles and care for them
The design and care of the soil around the tree begins with its planting. So, when he is 2-3 years old, he is 2 m, by the age of six he reaches 3 m, and by 10-12 - 3.5-4 m. Along with the growth of the crown, its trunk circle grows, the design of which as the tree matures can change.
Soil care depends on how the soil around the seedling looks:
- If the soil remains fallow, then it needs regular weeding and light loosening after each rain or watering. In the presence of heavy soil, autumn digging should be carried out annually, while on loams this can be done once every 2-3 years.
- Although mulching is the best way preserving moisture, improving soil quality and protecting from cold, is nevertheless considered by many gardeners to be a waste of land space. Mulching methods are described below.
- Decorated tree trunk circles are becoming increasingly popular, as they simplify their care and allow you to create beautiful flower beds, lawns or mini-vegetable gardens.
It is important to know: if you plant plants around a tree, you should take into account that its trunk should already be quite high (from 75 cm), and the branches should be raised above the ground.
Materials for decorating tree trunk circles
Long gone are the days when the design of the tree trunk circle consisted only of mulching or “bare” soil. Today landscape designers use natural and artificial materials, flower and herb seeds.
Summer residents are not far behind them and are improving their gardens:
- decorative stone;
- crushed stone and pebbles;
- glass;
- fabrics made of synthetic fiber, for example, agril;
- lawns;
- beds with spices;
- medicinal herbs.
Important to know: the soil around trees is effective area when used correctly. What is permissible on large landscaped lawns does not make sense on a plot of 6 acres, where every meter of land counts.
Stone decoration
The use of small pebbles or gravel to decorate tree trunks is especially popular among summer residents who cannot devote much time to their garden. These “helpers” are capable of:
- retain moisture;
- protect roots from hot sun rays and severe frosts;
- prevent weeds from growing;
- keep pests away.
This decor of the tree trunk circle frees the gardener from weeding, loosening and digging up the soil. Stones are a natural material that is durable, does not fly apart from gusts of wind and looks impressive.
Mulching
In regions where rain is rare and frost is not, summer residents use dry manure, straw, peat or leaves with reeds in the form of mulch. There are reasons for this:
- this is a natural fertilizer that is dug up in the spring and gives the roots additional nutrition;
- such mulch warms the soil;
- retains moisture well.
It is important to know: such mulching should be done not only 10-15 cm from the trunk, as many gardeners do, but throughout the entire circle around the trunk.
However, in warmer regions, an increasing number of summer residents prefer not only to mulch the circle of fruit trees, but also to decorate it. Pine cones, for example, are great for this. They look beautiful, hold heat well, transmit and retain moisture, are not blown away by the wind and do not give weeds a chance to grow through such a barrier.
In any case, what is the choice? natural material used for mulching remains up to the summer resident, based on weather conditions and the needs of the tree itself.
Lawn around trees
A beautiful, well-groomed lawn always looks impressive. It is no exception when it covers the trunk circle of an apple tree, for example, or other fruit trees. Owners of large plots can afford this luxury. As the grass grows, it is cut with a lawn mower and removed. As practice has shown, a lawn in tree trunk circles is beautiful decoration, which provides the tree with additional care:
- protects from the sun;
- protects from cold;
- retains moisture well;
- The roots of the grass themselves loosen the soil, and it breathes.
It is important to know: the lawn requires constant maintenance, otherwise the garden will look overgrown and abandoned. Trees also need regular spring feeding, which is best applied directly under the roots.
Seedling of tree trunk circles with forbs
The lawn is not suitable for the owners of the coveted six acres, so the best solution is to create cultural sod, for which grass seeds are used. It is better to sow perennial grasses, for example, a cereal mixture of meadow fescue (up to 60%) and meadow bluegrass (40%).
As the grass grows, it needs to be mowed and stored under the trees, as this is the best natural fertilizer that frees the gardener from additional organic fertilizers. Such turf serves as a natural “carpet” that protects tree roots from the scorching sun, severe frosts and drought.
Flower garden
Before you start creating a flower garden, spice bed or medicinal herbs, you should find out which plants in the trunk circles will bring the maximum benefit to the tree. For example, the following flowers are combined with an apple tree:
- daisies;
- daffodils;
- lungwort;
- pansies;
- forget-me-nots;
- bells;
- nasturtium;
- periwinkle.
They will not only decorate the tree trunk, but will also have a beneficial effect on the yield of the tree. Among the spices and vegetable crops The apple tree gets along well with:
- dill;
- radishes;
- feather bow;
- salad;
- sorrel;
- basil
Today, cultivating tree trunks is a widespread practice, and not a tribute to fashion. When the land can not only be used wisely, beautified and decorated, but also without special effort improving its composition is a chance to make your site ideal.
Which perennial flowers, trees and shrubs need to be mulched around the trunks with the onset of cold weather? What is this connected with? What material is better to use? What layer thickness should it be? What to do to prevent the wind from blowing the mulch away?
Zinaida Zueva, Leningrad region.
When we plant plants, we try to keep the soil around us free of weeds. But in this case, during the cold season, the plants will not have any insulation. Mulch is precisely designed to protect plants in winter, as it reduces heat exchange between the soil and the atmosphere.
Young seedlings of fruit trees and berry bushes, whose root system is shallow (currants, gooseberries, raspberries, sea buckthorn).
It would also be useful to mulch recently planted or rare varieties of most types of spruce, willow, bird cherry, serviceberry, maple (riverine, silver, ash), white acacia, and western thuja.
For phlox, heleniums, peonies and many other perennial flowers, it will be useful to cover them with a small layer of ordinary garden soil (possibly mixed with humus), since the growth buds of these plants grow upward and often rise to the soil level, which increases the risk of them freezing. Bulbs (lily, tulip, daffodil) mulch very thin layer. It is not recommended to mulch iris plantings, the rhizomes of which often rot.
Used for mulching different materials, but you should be aware that fresh sawdust can acidify the soil and absorb nitrogen from it. Straw should not be used for mulching, as rodents can grow in it; this is especially dangerous when covering bulbous plants.
Pine litter as mulch is useful for rhododendrons, heathers and azaleas. Ideal materials for mulching are fallen leaves and compost.
To prevent leaves from flying away, they are covered with branches or non-woven material. Now on sale special devices for covering tree trunk circles made of agrofibre and coconut fiber (service life 5-6 years).
The thickness of the mulch layer depends on what plants are covered, as well as on the climate and ranges from 1 to 30 cm.
