Tree Edging and Mulching Mastery | Tips for Picture-Perfect Circles
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- čas přidán 2. 07. 2024
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Making a mulch ring around your trees can not only have a dramatic impact on the look of your yard but also can help lead to healthy trees and easy lawn maintenance. There are a couple of things you need to look out for to ensure that weeds don't start popping up in your mulch and that you are applying the correct amount of mulch avoiding "mulch volcanoes."
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Great video. I looked through your list of tools and didn't see that edging tool. What tool is that? Looks like it works great!
@@danielsden28 found it at Lowe's. Corona 5.8-in Carbon Steel Multipurpose Garden Hand Tool
Finally someone who doesn't want to make a mulch volcano. I see it all the time and it's just landscaping companies wanting to make more money from clients and it's bad for trees. Top work.
Thanks Brian.
100% agree with your tree mulch application instruction! Prior to retiring I owned a mulch supply business. On my web site I provided similar instruction to what you showed in this video. Kudos! It drove me huts when I saw “volcano” rings around trees. When you observe trees growing in the forest as God has planted them there are no “volcanos” of anything….
Just built a house and I specifically told the landscapers to plant our trees flush with the ground. Of course, they all have volcano mulch rings. Trees were planted in late November, so roughly 6 months ago. Is it too late to remove the mulch volcano? I am in Alabama if climate is a factor.
@@ghettostreamlabs5724 Never too late to remove the volcanos and expose the root flare
"Doug, this is God. Don't be dissin' on volcanoes. I created those too ya know."
I was confused about mulch "volcanoes" around trees for a while. See, I'm interested in geology so have studied on my own among other things volcanoes. And one common feature of volcanoes is the caldera, a depression in the middle. So, I thought all the talk about not volcanoing a tree with mulch was to not leave a caldera perimeter (i.e. central depression) of mulch around the trunk of the tree. But that is exactly what you do want if applying a deep mulch ring. So, I guess, what you want is a shield volcano shape with low, shallowly sloping sides and with the tree coming out of the caldera, not a cinder volcano with tall, steeply sloping sides.
@@Sembazuru Yeah, that thingy.
Nice job. I rigged up a stranded cable years ago to make the perfect circles like this.... I've got two trees along the road and using this method always helps me to make them both perfect and aligned uniformly with each other. Also, its good to see you using the cypress blend mulch. It works well, smells nice (if around the house or patio) and because of the natural oils in it, it keeps a lot of bugs away for a few months. People who use a shredded hardwood mulch end up complaining about the mushrooms and/or dog vomit slime mold that grows on it naturally in wet weather. Then they wrongly blame the people that sold them the mulch as selling a bad product.
I have planted trees for over 5 decades - doing it wrong! Wow....how interesting it is to finally see that the 'flare' shouldn't be covered with mulch and explaining those 'hairy' roots. Thank you so much!
Dude thank you so much, was trying to use an extension cord and was struggling. The ratchet strap idea is so good!! Gonna use that forever.
Thanks so much for pointing out to keep the root flare clear- it is a leading cause of most tree deaths. The real reason for this is to allow air to go into the trunk bark for the tissue underneath. Also, I recommend adding amendment to the soil before the mulch, plus a flexible plastic edging around the circle for a clean edge to weed whip against
Fantastic video explaining the root flare and the importance of it!! I forget the exact depth, but about 80% of tree roots are in the first 6-12 inches! Very important to the tree’s health! Love videos like these! Thanks for sharing the knowledge on this topic!
I know this comment is 3 months old, but you are correct. Tree roots do not actually grow down deep like we see on “tree of life” or “family tree” diagrams. They are very shallow and spread outward across the planting area like arms. Not downward into the earth like legs. Pretty neat.
Thank you! This is the BEST tree circle video I have ever seen and I have been watching tons of them. Simple, straightforward and critical tip at the end!! I will be putting this to use tomorrow.
Best of luck on the project!
Another thing to keep in mind Scott is with a raw edge like this is to not have the mulch actually piled up to the grass as bluegrass spreads by way of rhizomes so if the mulch is piled up near the grass it can spread into the mulch even with the pre-emergent.
Glad you mentioned the issue with "mulch volcanoes". The city of Houston has planted many trees along one of the bike trail. Every single one has a giant mulch volcano extending up to a foot up the trunk. Landscapers here do the same thing with every tree they plant. I see homes with up to 2 ft of soil packed up against the trunks of their trees, using the area around the trees as a flower bed. Same thing happened when I had a Red Oak planted in my backyard back in 2008. It came in a 100-gal container. Nursery workers piled up mulch around the tree, covering the root flare. I removed the mulch and my tree is very large now, covering the whole back yard. I think landscapers do this for two reasons. First reason is they are just ignorant of the proper way to plant a tree. Second, the up-charge of adding the big mulch volcano.
Yeah, kind of crazy how common this is all over the US.
Love seeing dozens of horrible weed trees like bradford pears buried in a dome of red dyed mulch every time I leave the house. I wonder why common sense doesn't tell people not to smother a large portion of the tree with wood chips. It blows my mind that everyone does this. What even is the impulse here, to direct the eye to mulch? What? Why?
@@guyincognito320 People seem to think that it is pretty I guess. I almost always remove much before adding new stuff to top it off every year, carting the old stuff to the back lot line where no one sees it.
Real fun project for young trees with shallow roots. Have fun digging around them!
You have such a great channel. My dad was a great at home repairs so I know a lot about home repairs, but I've also picked up some great tips from you. Thanks!
10/10 perfect execution.
Mulch Volcano is the best way to tell a hack from a true professional
Thank you for advocating for the root flare! You’re the best!
I was in landscape maintenance for many years, and I can’t tell you how many trees we killed because the guys on the string trimmers were too aggressive and over time the outer layers were removed. This project solves that!
Nicely done. I have been doing all wrong. Thank you for sharing
You bet!
This is the correct way. Well done. Looks good. 👍
Like the way you explain things. Straight forward!
I've been using the Andersons Four Step on my lawn for several years and have had great success. I even get the grub control at a discount with their spring special.
Nice, thanks for the feedback and I have a little work to do but hopefully we will get the yard back in shape.
Awesome information in this video. A video that anyone doing yard work services should be watching first. Thank you for sharing this with us.
You bet and thanks for the support
Whoops I went backwards I just laid mulch down and now going back onto videos to see how to actually lay mulch down oops
Great video. Let the dandelions grow. Great early Spring nutrition source for honey bees when other sources are not yet available.
You bet!
This video is EXACTLY what I need!! Thank you!!!
You bet, best of luck on your project!
Thank you very much!!
I followed your technique, turned out great. Thanks!!!!
Very important and helpful video, thank you.
Very well done video. Super informative.
I love your videos , I really needed this information , Thank you
Looks great. Good job!
So good I messed up with my first one
Excellent information.
Good advice! I'm always surprised at how many people still think it's okay to mound trees with mulch, and I still see it everywhere.
Right, even supposed professionals do it all day long!
Great idea ❤
I don't like trees anywhere near my foundation. I don't even like larger shrubs near the foundation. It's not just the possibility of roots pushing on or growing under the foundation. it's having to prune a lot of the tree or shrub away because it's too close to a building. Not the one in the foreground; the one by the corner of the house. I'd have ripped that one out the same year I bought the house.I like letting trees and shrubs grow to their natural shape and dimensions, only pruning as needed for the health of the plant.
I’m tempted to try this on some Washingtonian palms. I’ve got a circle with topical plants I used the black bark over a layer of weed block fabric; works well. I edge with glyphosate.
I enjoy glyphosate, but the lymphoma I developed is not as enjoyable.
Nice to see you have done it properly. I won’t use mulch because it always blows into the grass. Going with stone
So glad to learn how to keep a tree healthy when doing mulch! Need to refresh our hibiscus. I wonder if there are roots from mulching too close on it should they be trimmed off?
Getting ready to do this same project. Great timing! Thanks for the tip about using a tie down strap.
You bet, best of luck on the project!
Nice job. I have a live oak I need to do something with so this was timely. There's a good video somewhere about that "no float" wood mulch. Spoiler - it floats. Worth a watch before you decide what mulch to use.
Good information to know
Helpful 😊.
I have a backyard tree where the root system choked it to death from over mulching. It's sad, but the previous homeowner didn't know any better. I left the tree snag up, hopefully critters and birds can still make use of it.
I have a mulch volcano video. My Tuplip Poplar was burried for 15 years. I removed the volcano to some concerning conditions, but am hopeful it survives for another 20-100 years.
❤Great project like the circle cutting idea. To bad for me cant get on my knees anymore.
Yeah, these are pretty physical projects for sure. I am going to start also including cost estimators if you hire out the work and point you in the direction to trusted professionals in your area. 👍
Great video.. although I never use any chemicals near anything I like to see growing.. I simply weed by hand, and try and be as Organic as possible..
Great tips mate! Nice and tidy job too. Although I wouldn't put Preen or any weedkiller anywhere close to my trees, especially around my fruit trees. A layer or two of carboard will prevent weeds way longer than 6 months as Preen claims to. And it's natural! I first remove any tap root perennials using a hand weeder or a trowel, then remove the turf, then lay carboard and mulch.
Thanks for the feedback!
Is there anything this man can't do! He's amazing!
😁 thanks for the kind words. A lot of parts to maintaining a home 👍
Nice to see "real" dirt, in live in Florida and its mostly sand.
Superb
Thanks!
Hi. Thanks for the video tips. I was wondering about the size of the circle does it have to be 3ft.? what is the minimum size I should go?
i was hoping you said what to do if you have a tree that has the small roots as you showed, should they be left in tact or cut and the dirt and mulch pulled back?...also i was hoping you had good suggestions for edging. I hate that black plastic stuff, it does not stay in. im on a super tight budget. thanks
I knew you'd mention the root volcano!
🌋
Thanks. I just freed the flair roots of both my trees. The whole time I was working on them I couldn't get the wrestler Rick Flair outta my mind! So, thanks for that, I guess.
Nature Boy!😂
@@jeepgurl1379 Holy crackers I didn't even realize that was his nickname!
Do you have a video on how to treat a tree that's had it's root flare covered and has the secondary root system? The previous owner planted nice fruit and decorative trees but covered all the flares. I checked and they all have new roots.
Good tip about mulch around the root flare - our city planted young trees by the sidewalk a couple years back and this year we were planning on topping off the mulch (especially with the sale prices Menards has been having recently on their mulch). Will remember the tip about mulch around the flare.
The BIGGER challenge we have been facing is mulch sliding /washing away / flying out of the landscaped area due to it being on slopes (think slopes on the sides of the house due to a basement walkout). And since we live on a hill in one of windiest cities in upper Midwest (that is NOT Chicago), we loose a lot of mulch each year where we need to top it off every year with 10-15 bags just due to the amount of mulch being washed or blown away (even though we have pavers edging around the landscape. Your lot looks relatively flat but would appreciate if you (or your viewers) might have any tips for keeping the mulch inside the landscaping area. And yes, on one side of the house that is more steep than others we do have a decent size retaining wall as well. Thanks.
Great video as always. 👍
I use jute netting on slopes to retain the mulch, also using mulch from tree services which has various size pieces which knit together and minimize blowing away
Reach out to an earthwork contractor or landscape supply company and see if you can get a few yards of erosion control mix (ECM) delivered. It’s usually a mix of large and small wood scraps, some gravel and dirt, rocks, etc, and tends to prevent erosion and washout. You can use that as a nice base and then add some mulch. Won’t help much with the wind blowing it away, but should help with it being washed away.
@@rml015 and @Mike Smith - Thank you so much for your responses. I feel more informed and less "lost" now with the information you have provided and will certainly look into these products. Appreciate the advice and recommendations. 👍
“Lose” not “loose” :)
Another great part of this edging technique is that you can easily make it bigger from year to year as a young tree grows
Bonus 👍
Great video ! I noticed Preen is not available in Canada, is there any other product that you would recommend that would be as effective as Preen ? Thanks
Interesting that you say the mulch ring helps let more moisture reach the tree roots. I heard another pro say that the reason so many young trees in new developments look so sickly is that when the surrounding grass is given enough water, it's too much for the tree, and it drowns the roots.
Different tree varieties have different requirements.
My newly planted trees has grass and weeds growing at the base. I'm going to add mulch as you show. But before I add mulch do I need to clear the area of weeds and grass? Should I add "Landscape Fabric" before I add the mulch?
I have a planter bed I am doing this too to make it nicer for when we sell our house. Its full of weeds, but I have like 4-5 scrubs in it. How can I kill the weeds without damaging the scrubs in order to put down the mulch. Also do I wanna use cardboard or the screening stuff?
Could you do this with potting soil and put plants in it?
Any recommendation for choking out blackberry vines from landscaped areas?
Is the Anderson four step the same as the IFA four step?
Whats the brand of your edger? Looks very easy to use. Cannot find it in your amazon store. Thanks
What can you do with trees that already have those secondary root systems?! I’m finally getting around to redoing the landscape around my house since we just moved in a year and a half ago, I’m on to the trees now and they have these roots that pretty much run right along the top layer of dirt around the trunk, I can’t even edge around the tree because all these little roots are there!
Always good to drive a fertilizer spike or two in the dripline since you have the soil exposed.
Thanks for the feedback 👍
Do you recommend covering exposed tree roots with mulch? We have a mature tree with large exposed roots
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA " This is a good time to call the kids to burn off their energy" LOL LOL LOL LOLLOL LLOLL
I Love it!!!!! The BEST advice on the net. hahahahaha
If j don’t have an edger will a square point shovel work
I can't find Preen in Canada. Is there a similar product you can recommend?
why not a physical weed barrier/tarp.... what happens when the pre-emergent dissolves?
Mulch and grass are almost at the same level. I think is better to make the circle line a little deeper
Does the excessive mulch create an environment sucker sprouts to grow?
Just curious, if Preen is an organic weed killer, esp if we are ingesting our fruits , or can we just avoid Preen and just mulch as is? Thanks
Will Preem kill the burmuda grass from growing into the tree ring?
What’s the difference between natural and rubberized mulch?
THANKS SCOTT, I LOVE ❤ YOUR TIPS FOR THE TREE RINGS…and all the other reasons for mulching…I have used them for years ( except preen )…I ended up only using CEDAR MULCH.(more cost 💰) but NO BUGS 🐜 EARWIGS OR OTHERS…In the long run peace of mind.. for the wife 👩🦰💚💚💚
Thanks for the feedback, and continue support for the channel 👍👍
Does it have to be a circle? We have a row of trees we want to mulch around at our campsite that are only a couple of feet apart. It's a rented sited so there's no way we're going to cut any down.
Surprised how many landscaper I see cover the root flare!
me too, some in our area aggressively apply mulch to make about an 8-10 inch volcano 😬
Do you have any concerns about the pre-emergent being spread in unwanted ways around your lawn by pets, rain, or other animals?
Instead of adding toxins to our planet, use cornmeal as a weed control under the mulch.
As a pro gardener, i agree on the unnecessary overmulching, but you need a very-very heavy overuse to suffocate a tree. Which even then depends on the species, the soil, the amount of water, the tree get, the development of the root system, and the type of mulch you use. It can happen only on extreme cases of all (or most) factors aligned together.
Mulch is generally doesn't close the soil, it creates a very breathable layer even when it is composted, and developed trees are quite resilient, when a new layer of soil buries (or open up by errosion) the root system (which happens in the forrest quite often).
Up to 3 inch layer of mulch around the trunk, it is unlikely to have any root damage, though the tree will develop a new root system into the composted mulch over time, which is the real problem. Snce your mulch volcane will turn into soil in a few years, if you keep adding a thick layer of mulch onto it, you will end up having a hill around the trunk, you can't eliminate since its full of roots.
Where can I get a tool like yours? I only could found other type of edger and spades
Here is the one I used amzn.to/43XdjGm I think Lowe's also carries this brand.
Help!!! 😭 I’m trying to simply do a nice (level) Circle around my old tree? I got solid roots that have grown up out…I’m lost ? What would you suggest?
How can I send you pictures
What would be a good price to charge somebody for something like this a tree?
No fortnite today kiddos your diggin sod.😆
Let me know how that works out 😁
So weird to hear Americans call it sod. We call it by it's true name, grass.
@@TheRosiebeam Sod is the whole structure down to the roots with the soil attached. The grass is what is on top.
@@terran5569 Grass has roots, correct.
2:21 that’s some good British slang 😈
That would be one giant ant mound in the south.
Are you wearing eye liner?
So why did you leave the tree in the back yard? Some expert
No metal or plastic edging??
It's not so much the weeds, it's the grass growing there that's annoying. Preen doesn't kill grass.
I’m curious about the product… preen
Greetings.
Looks Great. Professional.
Chief Ken Bauer, USAF (Ret)
What is the best way to get rid of dandelions?
Don't. they are a food source for bees in Spring.
Not to to be the turd in the punch bowl and bust up a good "theory", but how much water do you think it takes to completely saturate a couple handfuls of mulch?
The answer is very, very, very, little.
Mulch around the trunk of a tree does very little to inhibit water getting to the tree. The mulch will nearly instantly be saturated and the additional water will run right off...onto the ground...as if there was no mulch. The mulch actually combats evaporation to atmosphere, retaining moisture at the tree/root surface.
It's not concrete, it's mulch.
❤I thought you ❤ shouldn't put mulch up to the tree it m❤akes the roots come up for water
Жаль, что ролик не на русском 😢. Так всё аккуратно 👏
Preen and its active ingredient (trifluralin) is not allowed in the European Union.
What I dislike about mulch is you spend a lot of money on it and it looks great. But within a few months is completely faded and grey.
I get mulch for free from my local tree service, so no cost to refresh when it turns gray
That's why you don't be cheap and buy rubber mulch or stone landscaping, mulch is just another unneeded maintenance item so many people choose to keep getting
@natersalad889 true but natural mulch adds nutrients to the plants as it decomposes, which is it's added value
It helps with the fading if you buy mulch with no dye in it. The non dyed stuff will still fade a bit but it looks normal and natural and not all nasty and fake like most bagged mulch people get with the giant pieces in it that never break down
@@nicholasbreed3341 Great point, those bark nuggets are useless!
If you go into a forest you will see a ring around a tree, but it does not mulch itself. It might look good, but I don’t believe it adds any benefit. Yes maintain the ring, but adding mulch comes with pros and cons
3 ft radius*