Shaping Your Outdoors. Surpassing Expectations.
Correct mulching around trees that conserves moisture, feeds the soil, and never smothers the trunk.
A ring of good mulch is one of the best things you can do for a tree, but only if it is applied correctly – piled against the bark, it invites rot, pests, and girdling roots. We spread mulch in a wide, even ring at the right depth, always pulled back from the root flare so the trunk stays dry and exposed. Around the Sound, arborist wood chips buffer soil temperature, suppress weeds, and feed the soil food web as they break down through our wet winters. The classic mulch volcano is exactly what we avoid.
Conserves soil moisture and moderates temperature; Suppresses weeds around the trunk; Feeds soil as it breaks down; Kept off the flare to prevent rot and girdling; Avoids the harmful mulch-volcano mistake
1) Clear weeds and turf from the drip-line area; 2) Expose and protect the root flare; 3) Spread mulch in an even ring at proper depth; 4) Pull mulch back from the trunk and tidy the edge
Number and size of trees; Mulch type and volume; Ring diameter and depth; Bed prep and weeding; Delivery and spreading labor
Best refreshed in spring and fall so mulch insulates PNW roots through summer dry spells and wet winters.