[CANUFNET] A possible solution to Volcano mulching

[Bruno Chicoine]

Philip,
The volcano mulching phenomenon is indeed a serious threat to urban trees. I dealt with this problem in southern New Brunswick, observed it widely in Quebec, and also in my recent trip to Vermont. I observed that the problem threatens both public and private trees. In addition to crown root anaerobic conditions, I think the increased moisture at the trunk base due to soil elevation (mulch addition) forces the bark to decay, thus leading the sucrose circulation to stop/slow down in the active phloem cells. The resulting loss of growth (or death!!), depends on the adaptation capacity of the specie (I know that Spruces are especially fragile to any soil level changes), and represents a threat to urban forests.  And we pay for this!!!
The application of a thick mulch bed at the base of the trunk is so common that I really question myself where to begin in rising awareness concerning tree health at the soil level. In my opinion, the only real advantage of mulching is to keep away the lawn mowers and trimmers from the trunk. However, if improperly applied, the mulch can cause the same problem: damaging the bark.  Seldom are trimmer operators who know the role of tree bark in “stuff” circulation and same can be said for students working on the landscape team who apply mulch beds. They surely want to do a good looking job, like cutting every single grass surrounding trees and rising high & symmetric mulch beds. We pay them for this!!!
It seems to me that as long as we will demand trimmers to clean up tree trunks, bark will be damaged. A concrete solution would be to restrict systematically the use of trimmers to fences, park benches, and other metal or concrete infrastructures where we really wish the herbs to be cut down. This solution leads to savings, because the city needs fewer operators to do the job (=less gasoline too!). No trimmers, no need for mulch bed neither (personal opinion), which is another opportunity for saving. 
All we need is to accept longer grass close to trees, and explain to the few complaining citizens why we now proceed this way. This is one of the fun tasks of the urban forester, isn’t?!
I’m sorry about the long reply, but this subject brings me so mulch interest, I cannot be short.
 
Have a nice fall season,
 
Bruno
 
Bruno Chicoine
M.Sc. Candidate
Université de Moncton
Bruno..chicoine at yahoo.com



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Today's Topics:

  1. Volcano Mulch (Philip van Wassenaer)


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Message: 1
Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2008 09:31:39 -0400
From: "Philip van Wassenaer" <pwassenaer1022 at rogers.com>
Subject: [CANUFNET] Volcano Mulch
To: "Canufnet" <canufnet at list.web.net>
Message-ID: <024701c90c37$10ea1280$32be3780$@com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

This appeared on another list when a colleague of mine recently visited
Ontario. So my question is to all the Ontario municipal folks on this list:
"why are we still letting this happen?". The meager money we get here is
largely for tree planting and we let other departments or our tree people
destroy the investment in future trees. This has bothered me for years but
no one seems to be able to change this. Why is this?





"All, 



Just came back from a trip to Ontario, Canada, and was truly awe struck at
the ubiquity of volcano mulching along virtually every street I drove,
hundreds of miles of nothing but street trees with root crowns covered. This
represents millions of dollars of wasted municipal tree money, as the trees
were for the most part in decline due (I assume from visual observation) to
anaerobic root crown conditions. 



Nobody I have spoken with seems to know any reason for its
existence/appearance in the landscape. 



Comments? "









Philip van Wassenaer, B.SC., MFC

Urban Forest Innovations Inc. 

1253 Crossfield Bend.

Mississauga, Ontario

Canada, L5G 3P5

Tel: (905) 274-1022

Cell: (647) 221 3046

Fax: (905) 274 2170

<mailto:Pwassenaer1022 at rogers.com> Pwassenaer1022 at rogers.com



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