[CANUFNET] Mulching around trees

Thu Sep 4 12:47:48 EDT 2008

Re: Bruno Chicoine's excellent comments about the problems associated with Mulching around trees.

(Conflict Alert: - As a representative for DeepRoot Canada, I sell Tree Gards, so I am declaring my conflict up front)

A successful solution has been to use a "Tree Gard" around the base of the tree as a "Mulch Gard"
The Tree Gard goes around the base of the tree protecting the trunk from weed wackers/mowers and also provides an air barrier between the mulch and the bark of the trunk. This prevents the build up of moisture and rot that Bruno describes.
You want to make sure that you use a Tree Gard that has airation holes in it and that is light in colour so as not to build up heat against the trunk. ( A cut peice of Big O is NOT a Tree Gard)
Using a Tree Gard that "grows with the tree" is also preferable so that the Tree Gard does not strangle the tree if the maintenance is not done.
There are several manufacteurs that make Tree Gards that fit these specifications.

Mike James

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Today's Topics:

   1. Re: A possible solution to Volcano mulching (Bruno Chicoine)
   2. Re: Volcano Mulch (Mark Peterson)
   3. Seeking recommendations of good tree websites/books
      (Leslie Cauchi)

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Message: 1
Date: Wed, 3 Sep 2008 09:51:30 -0700 (PDT)
From: Bruno Chicoine <bruno.chicoine at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [CANUFNET] A possible solution to Volcano mulching
To: canufnet at list.web.net
Message-ID: <803731.75293.qm at web45610.mail.sp1.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1252"

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
Universit? de Moncton
Bruno..chicoine at yahoo.com

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Subject: CANUFNET Digest, Vol 46, Issue 1

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? 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>
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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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Message: 2
Date: Tue, 2 Sep 2008 12:28:26 -0400
From: "Mark Peterson" <mpa at golden.net>
Subject: Re: [CANUFNET] Volcano Mulch
To: "Canadian Urban Forest Network" <canufnet at list.web.net>
Message-ID: <00b201c90d19$197548b0$0301a8c0 at mark1>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

You know, I have always wondered why this happens also. To me the frequency is astounding.
When out walking I have even pulled away the mulch from around the trunk and the next time I go by it is right back mounded up the trunk. One of the largest landscape maintenance companies in south-central Ontario does this. One would think that they, of all people, should know not to do this. Monkey see - Monkey do!

Mark Peterson, BES, MLArch, OALA
Mark Peterson & Associates, Landscape Architect
(519)743-2990        www.openspacesolutions.com
  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Philip van Wassenaer
  To: Canufnet
  Sent: Monday, September 01, 2008 9:31 AM
  Subject: [CANUFNET] Volcano Mulch

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Message: 3
Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2008 21:01:09 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Leslie Cauchi" <ourschoolyard at acer-acre.org>
Subject: [CANUFNET] Seeking recommendations of good tree
        websites/books
To: canufnet at list.web.net
Message-ID: <61710.70.25.14.166.1220317269.squirrel at webmail.korax.net>
Content-Type: text/plain;charset=iso-8859-1

Can anyone recommend a good website/book that gives a quick breakdown of
native tree characteristics in southern ontario, such as height, spread,
bloom time, moisture/light/soil requirements, etc.?  I'm finding it
difficult to locate this information all in one place, in list format,
that's canadian (I find the university of texas' plant database fantastic,
but don't know if I should expect the same growth habits here
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/). And I find that my tried and true
field ID guides, such as Trees in Canada, do not provide adequate planting
information.

Thanks for your help with this,

Leslie Cauchi
Project Coordinator
Association for Canadian Educational Resources
website: www.acer-acre.org

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