CONSERVATION CORNER
A weekly blog for all things conservation
Ryan Reed- A Reprint from DCNR’s Forest Fridays This time of year always reminds me of the countless sweaty days I spent installing and maintaining landscapes. Through the years, I encountered every bad practice imaginable in tree care. One of the more common detrimental practices I observed was over-mulching. Some mulch beds around trees were up to 16 inches thick, accumulations of years of repetitive, heavy applications. These were referred to as “mulch volcanoes.” Too much mulch around the trunk of a tree acts like a sponge, rots the bark, and can lead to serious fungal issues. During drier years, too much mulch can inhibit water uptake as infrequent rain waters fail to percolate to the roots due to the impenetrable mat of mulch. An easy way to avoid this problem is to mulch lightly (only an inch or so) on an annual basis after an initial application of 2-3 inches. This way, the rate of decomposition of the applied mulch is not exceeded by the rate of application.
0 Comments
Kevin Brown, Agricultural Resource Specialist, BCCD What is one of the worst things you can do to your garden? Till it. Yes, that’s right, till it. Tilling is just like throwing a nuclear bomb in there every year. It is like a tornado coming through every year and destroying everything in its path. Think about it. You are grinding and pulverizing everything in the soil, including its inhabitants. There are so many beneficial microorganisms in your soil doing so many wonderful things to your soil and your plants, and you come through with a rototiller and grind it all to dust. They need homes and food and shelter and air space just like we do, and you just destroyed it. After tilling, they start to rebuild their lives again and get back to doing productive things, and along comes your rototiller again, taking out all forms of life once again. |
AuthorsVarious staff at the Bradford County Conservation District Archives
May 2024
Categories
All
|
Bradford County Conservation District
Stoll Natural Resource Center 200 Lake Road, Suite E | Towanda PA 18848 Phone: (570)-485-3144 |