Field discovery
This is why I prefer LinkedIn over other social media platforms, it gives me access to interesting technical posts. I don’t need to know everyone’s birthdays or see their perfect beach vacation shots. I love seeing good technical posts like one recent one about mulch.
A Ph.D. tree guy planted willows in a field he owns and he applied mulch. Some willows got a bit of mulch and some got lots. It wasn’t a scientific study complete with measurements but the after picture below is pretty clear!
Mulch rules!
The willow on the right got lots of mulch and it’s much larger than the willow on the left, which only got some mulch. Remember, all willows were planted at the same time. Now, the question is why?
Mulch keeps moisture in so the more mulch you have, the bigger the benefit. Mulch also breaks down over time thus adding organics to the soil.
Personally I love mulch because it reminds lawn care workers to stay away from trees with their machines. But in this case that clearly didn’t apply.
Here’s what I think really made the difference. More mulch means that competition from the surrounding grass and weeds isn’t as significant. The willows with very little mulch would get weeds and grass growing and competing close by quickly. More competition means fewer resources for the willow with less mulch.
As I found out from Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott, thin applications of mulch actually help weeds by capturing moisture and not depriving them of light. For proper mulch benefits, you have to apply several inches of mulch. Don’t go cheap.
This effect might have been at work in the UK field above: thick mulch keeps weeds and grass away longer. Thin mulch application helps weeds thrive and compete with the willows.
Conclusion
I love the picture above because it clearly shows the benefits of mulch. All willows were planted at the same time but with different amounts of mulch. The willow with lots of mulch was clearly bigger and doing better.
Definitely mulch your newly planted and older trees. They will love you for it.
