PLANT CLINIC

Keep mulch away from plant stems

By ADRIAN HUNSBERGER

aghu@ifas.ufl.edu

Mulch should cover as much of the root zone as possible.
A.HUNSBERGER / UF/IFAS
Mulch should cover as much of the root zone as possible.

Q:I read that mulch shouldn't touch tree trunks. Can you tell me why?

K.G.

Big Pine Key

A: One of the functions of organic mulch is to hold moisture. This is very beneficial for plant roots but it promotes various trunk rots and disease if allowed to pile up around tree trunks. As a general rule, keep mulch at least two inches away from stems and trunks of plants.

Organic mulch refers to bark, wood chips, leaves, straw, etc. Spread mulch so that it covers as much of the root zone of the plant as possible. This may mean that the mulch goes beyond the drip zone -- the edge of the leaf canopy.

If you are using a coarse-type organic mulch like pine bark, it should be kept three to four inches deep.

To learn more about mulches, visit this site: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/

Adrian Hunsberger is an entomologist/horticulturist with the UF/IFAS Miami-Dade Extension office. Write to Plant Clinic, 18710 SW 288th St., Homestead, FL 33030 or e-mail aghu@ifas.ufl.edu.

 

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