Trees like Donuts!

Do you know trees like donuts? Not the cinnamon sugar, jelly filled or with sprinkles variety, but as a thick layer of hardwood mulch under their branches. Fall and winter is an excellent time to provide a bit of care to your trees before the heat and drought of summer is upon us. 

Proper mulch is an important part of tree care. Spread the mulch wide under the branches of the tree leaving it about 2-3 inches deep. Pull the mulch away from the truck of the tree several inches. The ring should look more like a donut than a volcano!  

Improper mulch can kill your tree. Mulch against the trunk of the tree can cause rot because it holds in too much moisture. Laying more than three inches of mulch can starve your tree of oxygen, which suffocates the tree or the roots. Any way you look at it, too much mulch is never a good thing! 

Image from www.arborday.org