• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Frugal Gardening

Simple ways to save money while you garden

  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Garden Frugally
  • Buy These
  • Privacy Policy
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

You Need to Mulch Trees for the Winter: Here’s Why

December 23, 2019 by Steph Coelho Leave a Comment

image_pdfimage_print

Are you worried about your tree’s ability to withstand harsh winter weather? A bit of mulch might be your ticket to preserving new plant life in your garden.

Typically, mulching of trees is done in the fall, prior to freezing weather, in preparation for winter.

As we head deeper into the winter, there may still be time for folks in some regions to mulch and protect their trees.

It’s a little late for those in northern areas, but regardless of where you live, read on to learn more about winterizing trees with mulch and discover whether it’s necessary for your plants.

What is mulch?

Mulch is a protective layer of material placed around the base of a plant or tree. Examples of mulch materials include:

  • Leaf mold
  • Coco coir
  • Wood chips
  • Compost
  • Straw
  • Branches and pine needles

It’s also possible to use inorganic mulching materials like faux rubber wood chips, but these don’t break down and benefit the soil like organic options.

The most economical mulches are recycled materials like shredded fall leaves. Collect the leaves and reuse them for mulching for an environmentally friendly alternative to storebought mulch.

Purpose of mulch

There are a few benefits to using mulch in your garden and around your yard. Mulch is useful for:

  • Conserving moisture
  • Suppressing weed growth
  • Protecting root systems from cold weather

Over time, organic mulches also break down and help improve soil quality. Unlike inorganic substances, organic mulches also deliver added nutrients to the soil.

Using Mulch to Winterize Trees

A layer of mulch applied in the fall protects tree roots from rapidly changing temperatures by conserving soil warmth. Mulch is especially important if you’ve recently planted saplings as they’re more sensitive to temperature fluctuations than mature trees. Their root systems are also more vulnerable compared to root systems of the well-established plant life on your property. The insulation provided by mulch prevents roots from damage caused by soil expansion and compaction during freeze and thaw cycles in the winter.

When mulching trees for the winter, it’s essential to spread the right amount. Adding too much can suffocate a plant’s roots. Don’t pile it up around the trunk of a tree and avoid thick layers of mulch (2-3 inches should suffice).

Which trees do I need to mulch?

Trees and plant life that are native to your region don’t require mulching for winter protection. Don’t waste your time mulching the big maple tree in your backyard. It doesn’t need it. It’s well adapted to the climate and has already established itself.

Other native, hardy plants like certain types of rose bushes shouldn’t require winter protection either.

Some trees and bushes may benefit from winter cover, but not mulch.

Focus on mulching recently planted trees and shrubs. Young trees haven’t yet built up an established root system and benefit from a layer of cozy, insulating mulch.

Steph Coelho

Steph Coelho is a freelance writer gardening in zone 5b. She is a certified Square Foot Gardener and has taught various garden-related workshops. When she’s not digging in the dirt or writing, she’s cooking up fresh produce, running, or listening to her favorite podcasts.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Previous Post: « 5 Fun Hobbies to Keep You Busy This Winter
Next Post: A Wealth of Information: 4 Great Reasons to Order & Keep Seed Catalogs »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar




Popular Posts

  • Garden For FreeGarden For Free by Steph Coelho Is it possible to have a lush flower garden, produce…
  • Vinegar Uses In GardenVinegar Uses In Garden by Steph Coelho 1. Clay Pot Cleaning: Vinegar will remove the white salt…
  • Troubleshooting the Seed Starting Process: Using Old SeedsTroubleshooting the Seed Starting Process: Using Old Seeds by Steph Coelho I'm typing this up on a gloomy day here in…
  • Frugal Container GardenFrugal Container Garden by Steph Coelho Pots and planters can be an expensive item if you're…
worm farming

Could I Make Money With Worm Farming?

I was chatting with a friend the other day and she asked me if I’d ever heard about worm farming. I said, “sure, like to compost in your apartment, right?” And she said, “sure, but did you know that you can actually make money with worm farms?” Huh. I did not know that. My Friend’s…

Read More

Make Money Selling Tree Sprouts

Can You Make Money Selling Tree Sprouts?

If you have tons of land then you can grow trees for sale. But what if you have a smaller space, as most of do? Is there anything you can do with trees to make money? For example, can you make money selling tree sprouts? Likely, yes. What Are Tree Sprouts? Before we talk about…

Read More

Natural Fabric Dyeing: Colorfast vs. Fugitive Dyes From Plants

Natural Fabric Dyeing: Colorfast vs. Fugitive Dyes From Plants

Last month I mentioned that I’m working with the book A Garden to Dye For to learn more about growing plants that you can use to natural dye fabrics. One of the first important concepts is learning about how well or how long a plant’s color is likely to adhere to the fabric that you’re…

Read More

Techniques To Increase Germination Rate of Seeds

10 Techniques To Increase Germination Rate of Seeds

Germination refers to the process of a seed becoming a plant. Some people don’t mind a very slow process. They’ll plant flowers that take two years to show their colors. However, sometimes you want an experience a little bit closer to instant gratification. While no plant is going to germinate overnight, there are techniques to…

Read More

Footer

Copyright © 2022 · Foodie Pro & The Genesis Framework