Mulch

[Guest]

Hi there, so glad I stumbled upon this forum

I recently moved to the east coast and have noticed around here (Delaware)some people heap mounds of mulch around the base of trees and shrubs, right up against the trunks, I've seen it piled over a foot deep at some locations!
On the west coast that kills plants, doesn't that kill them here too?

I was a professional gardener out west, so I really hate asking that, but things are very different here.

Thanks!

[The Helpful Gardener]

Nope you called it. People think they're doing their gardens a favor, but the depth of mulch shouldn't exceed a few inches and I like mulches that incorporate into the soil pretty much in one season (aged pine bark is a favorite). Piling it deep around trees gives rodents a place to live for the winter and a stocked larder (tree bark), so there's another way to harm your tree.

Good to have you on the forum. Welcome to the right coast...

Scott

[Guest]

Thanks Scott,
I knew in my heart it must be wrong to mulch that way, but just had to ask.
I'm sure I'll have more questions about east coast gardening techniques.

[The Helpful Gardener]

Thanks. Be sure to join the forum, as we could use the left coast expertise here, too. Strength in numbers, as they say. I answer a lot of the mail around here, but want to encourage this as an open forum where you should chip in your two cents if you know the answer to a problem. We have been getting a few old hands in here and there, but the more the merrier...

Scott

[Inga]

Thanks, I actually joined before I posted my question, but for some reason it listed me as 'guest' even after logging in. I have changed my settings to log me in automatically so lets see if my name comes up this time.



ETA~ woohoo, it worked!

[The Helpful Gardener]

Glad to have you aboard, Inga