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This illustration shows accurate mulch application in the shape of a ‘saucer’ or ‘donut’ around the plant. The mulch has been pulled back from the actual plant and has an elevation along the drip line to funnel the water towards the roots.
Look for this Mulch & Soil Council certification label. While MSC does not mean that the mulch is organic, it can give you some peace of mind about its conformity to proper labeling requirements, passed laboratory testing, passed greenhouse growth testing (soils), chemical testing for CCA-treated wood contaminants (mulches) and undergoes random audit testing in retail markets.
Stones can be used to protect soil from wind erosion.
The application of this mulch is incorrect in this photo as water will run down hardened mulch, and there is no space for air and water to circulate close to the trunk. This is what we call a mulch volcano.
and Sonia Demiray Frederick County Forestry Board
This illustration shows accurate mulch application in the shape of a ‘saucer’ or ‘donut’ around the plant. The mulch has been pulled back from the actual plant and has an elevation along the drip line to funnel the water towards the roots.
Look for this Mulch & Soil Council certification label. While MSC does not mean that the mulch is organic, it can give you some peace of mind about its conformity to proper labeling requirements, passed laboratory testing, passed greenhouse growth testing (soils), chemical testing for CCA-treated wood contaminants (mulches) and undergoes random audit testing in retail markets.
Stones can be used to protect soil from wind erosion.
The application of this mulch is incorrect in this photo as water will run down hardened mulch, and there is no space for air and water to circulate close to the trunk. This is what we call a mulch volcano.
In the first part of our series on mulch, published in Green on May 27, we talked about the different types of organic mulch. The Frederick County Forestry Board strongly encourages the use of organic mulches over any others, as only organic mulch adds essential nutrients in addition to structure and porosity, allowing water, oxygen and roots to dig in and penetrate the soil. All of the above is necessary for plants and trees to grow and flourish, to produce our food and oxygen, and to draw carbon from the atmosphere.
Before we go into inorganic mulches, we’ll share some best practices for all mulch application.
First, determine where your flower bed or mulch ring will go and dig a 2- to 3-inch deep delineation edge using an edger or planting spade. Remove any grass or plant matter from the bed. Most landscapers apply pre-emergent herbicide at this point to prevent future weeds. However, if you want to keep weeds at bay and not add chemicals to the soil, we suggest that you install a biodegradable, geotextile layer, which will allow water to drain but stops light from passing through, before applying the mulch. For existing beds and mulch rings, remove old mulching from existing plantings to about 1/2 to 1 inch and then apply the new mulch on top to the following specifications: We recommend that you install mulch in planting beds and tree rings at a depth of 2 to 2 1/2 inches. Individual trees should have a saucer formed around the outside of the root ball made with new or existing soil with a raised lip at the drip line of about 3 inches. Don’t place any new soil on top of the root flare and do leave a 2- to 4-inch space between the tree trunk and the newly applied mulch ring. We have seen too many “mulch volcanos” around the base of trees because old mulch was not removed or mulch was piled against the trunk, impeding air, water and nutrients from moving in the soils and harming the tree.
Older organic mulches will eventually lose their color and should be worked into the soil. Otherwise, they may develop some unusual unwanted organisms. Have you ever seen small black specs on areas of the house or patio that resembles tar spots? These are fungal spores from a Shotgun Fungus that forms in the mulch and releases on nearby surfaces. Another organism called Dog Vomit is a slime mold that looks terrible but will not harm your plants, pets or family. Other mushrooms and molds may also appear over time but will usually dry up and disappear.
Dyed mulch has also become popular over the years as artificial color adds to the visual contrast between plants and lawn. While there are a few mulches that use organic dyes (mainly yellow and brown vegetable dyes), most dyed mulches actually contain less organic matter, as it does not retain the color as well. Because of this, many dyed mulches are made from wood splinters from old pallets possibly used for transporting toxic chemicals, demolished wooden structures and even old pressure-treated lumber which does not benefit our soils and foods. Black dyed mulch in particular may become toxic to the environment if the dye comes from heavy petroleum products like tar and coal tar. These products are referred to as carbon black and can possibly leach into the soils and, eventually, our water. So please read the mulch labels and look for a Mulch Soil Council (MSC) certification to ensure it does not contain pressure treated — aka chromated copper arsenate (CCA) treated — wood.
There are many inorganic mulches on the market. Many are used purely for aesthetics and don’t add any nutrients to our soils. For example, rubber mulches are often made from recycled tires which then carry chemical pollutants, such as volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, benzothiazyl disulfide and latex. The EPA has found these chemicals cause cancer, headaches, nausea, contact dermatitis, allergies and other health issues. The zinc from rubber leachates is also harmful to plants. In other words, check the composition, the durability and the source of any rubber mulch if you decide to go that route.
Another popular ground covering in our area are geotextile weed barriers, landscape fabrics and soil separators made from non-woven and woven polypropylene fabrics. However, we urge you to seek out biodegradable geotextiles, as we certainly don’t need to add plastics or polyprenes to our soil. If you decide to use a geotextile cover, make sure you are clear on its particular drainage potential so the area doesn’t become water logged, and do not put the material too close to trees, as plastic has the potential to get very hot in the summer and can literally end up cooking the roots of plants nearby. Landscape fabric, on the other hand, is porous and shouldn’t be a problem if it’s biodegradable, unless it gets blocked. With time, Mother Nature will manage to plant weeds on top of all textiles.
Since most newspapers have abandoned toxic dyes, newspapers can be used for mulching as well. We have used wet papers to keep roots of plants moist for years for its good moisture retention abilities. In addition, papers suppress weeds (in fact, you can smother grass with newspaper layers), and they control soil temperatures when you add four to eight layers of paper around your plants to keep them moist.
Finally, there are many sizes and shapes of crushed stone, gravel, river stones, slate, rocks and boulders. Most of these are attractive and protect the soil from wind erosion and compaction, but stones won’t hold moisture, reduce weeds or diffuse high and low temperatures as well as organic mulches do. Some may also require special edging to keep them in place. Gravel and stone work well as mulches in areas that require good drainage or beds with plants that like a little additional heat, such as Mediterranean herb gardens and rain gardens. Stone is hard to remove, so plan for the long term when using it.
Regarding the cost of mulch, it can be difficult to compare apples to apples. Be aware of the source, sales, size of container and quality and type of product. The Frederick County Division of Solid Waste and Recycling has an affordable program offering double-shredded hardwood mulch for $10 per ton to anyone who comes and picks it up at 9031 Reichs Ford Road in Frederick. This is part of the county’s efforts to recycle local yard waste, limbs and stumps and is perfect for landscapers and neighborhood groups. When not buying by the ton, mulch can be purchased in bulk measured by the cubic yard or in bags which come in 2 or 3 cubic feet. If you are purchasing mulch in a 3-cubic-feet bag, it will take nine bags to give you a cubic yard. Mainstream prices of bagged mulches can range widely, from $24 per cubic yard of hardwood chips to around $40 per yard for dyed mulch, all the way up to $100 per cubic yard of cedar chips or even $150 for rubber mulch.
To recap our mulch suggestions, we recommend that you plan ahead, delineate and measure where you want to add what type of groundcover and mulch, then explore the availability and cost. The Forestry Board recommends using organic mulch since it is the only one that adds nutrients and structure to our soils.The Frederick County Forestry Board promotes the conservation, stewardship, and sustainable use of our forest resources and urban landscapes. We inform the public and vigorously advocate to retain or increase the integrity of our local, regional, and national forest ecosystems. Trees enhance our physical and mental well-being; improve the quality of our streams, lakes, and the Bay; help cool the environment; retain and improve soil; produce oxygen while consuming carbon dioxide; and provide shelter and food for wildlife. Please visit frederick.forestryboard.org for additional information and resources or to sign up for our free weekly Nature Note articles, tree plantings, Second Sunday Tree Walks, tree shelter exchange, and more.
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