TITLE: Mulching trees to stop grass growth
DATE: 2021-09-30
AUTHOR: John L. Godlee
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The trees we planted back in February are doing well, but the grass
has been growing a lot because there aren't any sheep in the field
anymore. Left unmanaged, the grass would grow very tall and
possibly impede the growth of the trees. We've had two sprays of
glyphosate herbicide on the grass around the trees to keep it down,
but I don't like spraying too much because of the adverse impact it
might have on the rest of the ecosystem, and the risk that it might
damage the trees. Also, although the herbicide kills the grass, the
dead grass doesn't disappear. I wonder what effect this build up of
dead grass will have on what grows there next year. As a more long
term solution, I've been mulching around the trees with wood chips.
This is very labour intensive, but it's clear from observation that
an application of mulch is much more effective than spraying over
the long term.
First, the grass has to be cut around the tree, so the mulch will
sit and not slide off. I've been using long-handled garden shears
to do this. This is the part of the process which takes the most
time.
Then, the mulch can be added around the tree. I've been making a
layer about 2-3 inches thick. It's important that the mulch isn't
piled up around the tree, because this can encourage fungal
diseases at the base of the tree.
I've been noting down on my new stem map which trees have been
mulched, so I can see whether it decreases mortality over the next
few years.
Using the Kawasaki Mule to transport the wood chips has greatly
reduced the amount of labour, as it can drive down the rows of
trees, which are only 2.5 m apart.
