How to Mulch Fruit Trees

Fruit tree mulching is an easy and important practice for keeping your trees healthy year after year. Any fruit tree will benefit from the application of a good mulch as long as a few key points are remembered. Be concerned with the type of mulch used, the amount to place beneath the tree, how far out to spread the mulch and how to manage it after it is placed.Mulching fruit trees helps them retain water, and if a mulch, such as compost or shredded organic matter, is used it adds nutrients to the soil.

Things You'll Need

• 18 cubic feet of loose mulch
• Shovel
• Rake
• Spading fork
• 2 cubic feet of decorative mulch, such as cocoa shells, pea gravel, wood chips or shredded cedar
• Border or edging material, such as stones, or plastic or aluminum garden edging (optional)

Instructions

Applying Mulch to Fruit Tree

1. Clear area beneath tree of all debris in a diameter of 8 feet or to the extent of the branches.

2. Distribute mulch around tree with a shovel beginning 1 to 2 feet away from the trunk.

3. Rake out mulch to spread evenly.

4. Add mulch until a depth of 4 to 6 inches is reached.

5. Add decorative mulch if desired on top the regular mulch and spread in the same way. This is not needed, but can help to hold mulch in place and look good under the tree.

6. Contain the mulch with a rock border, aluminum lawn edging or any suitable material for edging if desired.

Maintaining Fruit Tree Mulch

1. Pull mulch away from tree in autumn when leaves are falling. Wait until end of leafdrop, rake up and remove leaves then replace mulch.

2. Replace mulch and add fresh mulch to accommodate for branch extension and mulch decomposition.

3. Check mulch periodically for presence of rodents such as mice or voles, especially as weather grows cold.

4. Check mulch for mildew, fungus or other signs of disease. If found remove mulch, allow sun to dry area and mulch with new materials

5. Fluff or toss mulch periodically with spading fork to keep air moving in mulch mass.

Tips & Warnings

• Recommended mulches for fruit trees include: grass clippings or shredded leaves,

• buckwheat hulls, pine needles, peat moss, manure, chopped corncobs and straw

• Know your soil acidity levels before you mulch as mulch materials have different effects on soil. Don't make your acidic soil more acid by mulching with the wrong mulch. For a non-acidic mulch use any leaves except oak, hulls, corncobs, grass clippings or sawdust. Weed barrier cloth or black plastic sheep mulch are good for not affecting soil acidity and for young trees.

• Consider the source of your mulch and try to make sure it is a clean, dry product, that will not bring disease to your tree.

References

• Home Orchard Society: Mulch Your Fruit Trees!
• "Rodale's All New Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening"; Fern Marshall Bradley, Barbara W. Ellis; 1997
• Natural Care of Fruit Trees