The City of Dublin

It’s that time of year when new mulch is showing up in landscape. When applied correctly, mulching of the most simple and effective practices to maintain plant health, improve growth, and enhance vitality. Mulches provide many benefits including:

* Eliminating competition between tree roots and grass or other ground covering plants
* Eliminating the potential of damage to stems by mowers and weed trimmers
* Conserving soil moisture
* Suppressing weed growth
* Moderating soil temperature
* Improving soil organic matter
* Soil fertilization

Organic mulches composed of wood chips, bark, leaves (including pine needles), and compost are all suitable mulches for woody and herbaceous landscape plants.

Mulch depth should be 2 to 4 inches. Mulch should not be piled against the trunk but tapered away. The trunk tissue is not intended to remain constantly moist from mulch accumulation and can cause rotting issues. Insect and disease infestations, as well as stem girdling roots often develop on trees with excessive mulching.

If edging around your trees remove the sod and soil. Do not add to the top of the rootball.

Following this simple guidelines will provide you with healthy trees.

Want to learn about saving your ash trees? Come to the Dublin ECO Expo on Saturday, April 10th, at the Dublin Rec Center. Derek Stromski, Assistant Forester, will be giving a presentation in the Abbey Theater at 10am.

While celebrating being named a Tree City USA community for the twentieth year in a row, Dublin was also honored by the Arbor Day Foundation, as the recipient of a Tree City USA Growth Award for demonstrating progress in its community forestry program.

Dublin forestry program was awarded among the following activity areas: education and public relations, community-wide tree event, partnerships and engineering/forestry coordination. The Growth Award, a prestigious achievement, recognizes environmental improvement and higher levels of tree care in Tree City USA communities.