To Mulch, or not to Mulch?

Really want to save this old fella, but not prepared to throw big bucks at it yet (too many irons in the fire, atm)

It's probably the last of the original plantings left in a Victorian orchard.

If I do mulch out to the drip line, should I strip the grass and risk damaging feeder roots, or lay a permeable membrane and cover with woodchip etc?

Please excuse my ignorance, as i have yet to mulch a large tree in such a densely grassed area before.

Many thanks

What we recommend for mulching over pre-existing grass area is to cut the grass as short as possible, but not try to grub it out, as that will disturb roots.

Thoroughly moisten the area to be mulched, lay sheets of cardboard with 6" overlap, (you might want to use landscape staples to hold that down) thoroughly soak that, and apply your 3 - 4" of organic mulch of choice.

The cardboard will decompose but by the time it does, the grass roots should be dead. You will get reseeding from the surrounding grass area, but that will happen no matter what method you choose.

Can the footpath be moved away from the tree? The psi on foot traffic can be as damaging as the impact from a pickup truck.

Dave

What we recommend for mulching over pre-existing grass area is to cut the grass as short as possible, but not try to grub it out, as that will disturb roots.

 

Thoroughly moisten the area to be mulched, lay sheets of cardboard with 6" overlap, (you might want to use landscape staples to hold that down) thoroughly soak that, and apply your 3 - 4" of organic mulch of choice.

 

The cardboard will decompose but by the time it does, the grass roots should be dead. You will get reseeding from the surrounding grass area, but that will happen no matter what method you choose.

 

Can the footpath be moved away from the tree? The psi on foot traffic can be as damaging as the impact from a pickup truck.

 

Dave

Thanks Dave, this is the exact type of experience I sought.

With the process of mulching to the drip line, the path will be diverted elsewhere.

Personally, I have never laid a membrane, or even cardboard. I have just put a good mulch layer down on the grass out to the dripline.

Personally, I have never laid a membrane, or even cardboard. I have just put a good mulch layer down on the grass out to the dripline.

Is this enough to permenantly supress the green stuff, Ed?

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Personally, I have never laid a membrane, or even cardboard. I have just put a good mulch layer down on the grass out to the dripline.

I agree, cardboard will be gone in no time, and I personaly don't like membranes.

David I doubt mulch over grass will supress grass growth completely but would that be such a problem?

I agree, cardboard will be gone in no time, and I personaly don't like membranes.

 

David I doubt mulch over grass will supress grass growth completely but would that be such a problem?

Maintenance and continuity of aesthetics.

I reckon the grass would probably return far too quickly as the "land maggots" would forget to keep on top of it.

Might even edge it with Cherry logs

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The cardboard is a good idea but the most important thing you need is a bucket of worms they will do all the work of decompaction and let the nutrient down to the roots.

have a chat to Kew gardens,, they have it down to an art with awesome results.............

Would love to, but they never seem to return my calls

Guess they're just too damn busy tryin to get on top of those pesky OPM's

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