White County
 Gardening
Podcast
November 11, 2008
Mulch Volcanoes Kill! (3:29 minutes)
Audio/Video Script:
Sherri Sanders
County Extension Agent - Agriculture
We all have pet peeves!!! I have them too, especially concerning the ‘Mulch
Volcanoes’ I see everywhere. I see them in subdivisions and at area businesses.
Hello, this is Sherri Sanders, County Extension Agent – Agriculture in White
county.
Unfortunately, our landscapes are falling victim to a plague of
over-mulching. I feel that as your county agent, it is my responsibility to
educate our clientele on the proper way to mulch a tree or shrub. Since it is
fall and gardeners everywhere are sprucing up their properties, protecting the
tender plants, adding trees and/or shrubs, and hopefully mulching the leaves, I
figured this was the best time to warn against creating ‘mulch volcanoes’ in
your landscape.
Never heard of a 'mulch volcano'? It a term being given to the pile of mulch
around the base of a tree to form what looks like a volcano as it angles up the
tree trunk. The only thing oozing as a result of these volcanoes perhaps are sap
from the trees once borers get into them or disease takes over. Applying mulch
too thickly will invite insects, disease, fungi and small rodents.
More than 2 to 4 inches is over-mulching. Piling up mulch up around the trunk
or stem, will also kill the tree. Continuous moisture on the trunk will cause
cankers and splits, and allow disease and pests to attack. Excess moisture in
the root zone will stress the plant and cause root rot. Thick blankets of mulch
can become matted and actually prevent water and air from getting to the roots.
Roots need oxygen to breathe and without excess mulch and excess water, the
trees are actually suffocating.
Let it be known that mulch, particularly for young or newly planted trees, is
good for the plants. It provides plants with a constant supply of oxygen, keeps
the soil at a more even temperature, prevents weed growth, conserves moisture,
over time adds organic matter to the soil, reduces soil erosion, improves
aesthetic values and most likely adds value to the landscape property.
The proper way to mulch a tree or shrub after planting them at the proper
depth is to apply 2-4" over the entire root system of the plant. The depth of
organic mulch should not exceed three inches after settling. Keep mulch at least
6" from the base of a trunk. Some prefer to start tapering off when they reach
within a foot of the trunk. You should see the flare at the bottom of the trunk.
If you already have mulch and roots have not begun to growth within in it, just
pull if away from the trunk and use that extra supply elsewhere.
Perhaps you saw it being done by others and thus find it acceptable. I assure
you it isn't acceptable or recommended. Simply because you have seen this
practice done in commercial landscapes certainly does not mean that you should
mirror the same in your own landscape. Research has shown a dramatic decrease in
the size of trees and shrubs that have fallen victim to the ‘mulch volcano’.
I wish you much pleasure as you enjoy your garden throughout the year. Now go
out there and check to see that your mulch is at the proper depth and away from
the trunk. Make those volcanoes a thing of the past. Your plants will thank you
and I thank you.
For additional information on horticulture, contact the White county
Cooperative Extension service at 501-268-5394.
This has been Sherri Sanders in Searcy.
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