Gardening, lawn care and landscaping are extraordinary activities which need dedication, effort, time and some skills. When it comes to maintaining your property throughout the hot summer season one of the most important things you need to focus on is fertilization and protection. Today our tree service Utica, IL specialists want to focus on an important type of protective measure to keep your trees healthy and thriving during the summer: mulching. We have talked about tree protection in the summer before, but this time we will get into the specifics of proper mulching as one of the easiest, healthiest and cheapest ways to make sure your trees get the protection they need.

What is Mulch and How Can You Obtain It?

Mulch is usually an organic product you can spread on the soil to fertilize, nourish and protect. Mulch retains moisture, keeps the pests away from all roots’ systems and feeds all plants as it slowly decomposes and gets absorbed in the soil. Besides keeping the soil under the trees cool and fertile, mulch also adds to the visual attractiveness of the treated areas – this is another reason to use it in flower beds and vegetable gardens. Organic mulch can be achieved at home, as it basically represents a mix of organic matter: chipped or shredded bark, leaves, twigs, grass clippings, compost and composted manure, straws, newspaper and so on.

How to Properly Apply Mulch to Protect Your Trees in Summer?

This rich and highly nutritious organic material should be layered around each tree following the 3-3-3 rule. According to our tree service Utica, IL specialists, this rule can be broken down in the following sequences:

• Add a 3-inch thick layer of mulch around each tree
• Make sure the mulch layer has a ring / circle shape (with the tree in the circle’s center) that spreads on a 3-foot wide circular area.
• Make sure there are at least 3 inches distance between the tree bark and the mulch layer.

This rule should be strictly followed. You shouldn’t just dump a pile of mulch around the tree bark because you risk having tree roots (especially the ones of young trees) growing in the mulch instead of growing in the soil. Moreover, following the 3-3-3 rule you make sure the soil around each tree is uniformly covered, thus not wasting resources.

Many people wonder why you should preserve a 3-inch space between the bark and the mulch. The tree barks need to breathe, first and foremost. Also, if the mulch touches the bark you risk moist to accumulate in that area and have collar-rotting organisms thrive – this endangers your trees and may lead to their death.

Make sure you maintain your mulch properly. Keep the layers compacted and of uniform thickness and make sure the mulch doesn’t gather around the tree bark. Keep the trees’ roots safely and your landscape neat and tidy without mulch being easily scattered around the property.

If you are not sure about creating and applying tree mulch, ask your tree service Utica, IL specialists to help you install it and enjoy your majestic trees all summer long.