Mulch Matters

During a routine doctor’s appointment, any of us are likely to hear, “Get more sleep. Exercise more. Eat better.”.  The tree equivalent of that might be, “Add mulch over the roots.”.  What is mulch and what is it good for?

Mulch is just any material laying on top of the ground and blanketing the soil beneath. This blanket cools the soil by reducing the sunlight directly hitting and warming the ground. It also reduces the rate of water loss from the soil directly evaporating into the air. Almost all mulches do these two fundamental things that benefit tree roots. What is good for the roots is good for the tree!

Organic mulches have the added advantage of breaking down through decay. Everything lost above ground is gained below, in the form of increased nutrient availability, opening up compacted soils, and promoting the growth of mycorrhizal fungi (which are very beneficial symbiotic partners with tree roots). 

The best mulch over tree roots is arborists’ wood chips – the stuff out of the back of a tree care truck. Bark and pecan shells are okay, though they do not stimulate soil ecology as strongly as wood chips. We recommend avoiding rock mulch, as it adds heat to the tree’s canopy which increase the rate of water loss. Crusher fines are bad – they set up hard and don’t breathe well. Chipped tires and synthetic turf are the worst as they add lots of heat to the canopy and petrochemical residues to the soil.

Contact us to find out more about our Albuquerque tree removal services.