Summer is here – how’s your outside area faring so far? The hot weather can definitely take a toll on your landscaping, leaving your yard looking worse for the wear. However, there is an easy solution to both spruce up the aesthetic of your outdoor living space and help your trees and landscaping thrive through the summer – mulching.
Mulching Isn’t Just for Spring
While many homeowners mulch their trees and landscaping during the spring, don’t worry if you missed the boat – you can still use this technique to liven up your yard in the summer. Mulching can actually help your landscaping stay vibrant all summer long and protect against drought. Here’s what the experts at Hometown Tree have to say about it.
Why Mulching Should Be a Part of Your Summer Tree Care
If you’ve got your summer tree care plan laid out, look it over once more. If mulching isn’t on it, you’re going to want to add it in. Here are the benefits of mulching your trees and shrubs in the summer.
It helps to protect against drought. Mulch protects the soil, helping to keep moisture in the soil longer so that your trees don’t suffer as much from extreme temperatures and strong sunlight.
It also protects against heavy rain. Summer is known for its heat, but it’s also known for its downpours. Heavy rain can wash away important nutrients in the soil. Mulching protects the soil and in turn, the nutrients in it that your trees need to thrive.
It prevents drastic soil temperature fluctuations. Summer can take a toll on your yard’s soil, but mulching helps to prevent major temperature fluctuations around tree roots that can be detrimental to your landscaping.
It helps cut down on weeds. Not only are weeds annoying to pull, but they can also sap nutrients from your landscaping. Mulching your yard in the summer can help prevent weed growth (and cut down on the time you spend sweating in the yard, pulling weeds).
If you did your mulching in the spring, it’s still a good idea to take a look around your yard to scout for mulch that’s thinning or has been washed away. You can add fresh mulch to your landscaping to help your plants and trees make it through the summer with ease.
Tips for Summer Mulching
Whether you need to lay down fresh mulch or spruce up existing mulch as part of your plant and tree care plan for the summer, here are some expert tips.
Tip #1: Edge around the tree or landscaping first. You should edge and weed the beds before you add mulch to them (trust us, it’ll make your life easier in the long run).
Tip #2: If you’re mulching over existing mulch, be sure to stir and turn the old mulch to let it air out and to help disperse the existing nutrients.
Tip #3: If you’re mulching over bare ground, be sure to use the right type of mulch and the right amount. You want 2-4 inches of mulch around your trees and shrubs, but be sure that you’re not mounding the mulch around the trees like a volcano. This can actually be detrimental.
Tip #4: Rake everything out. You want your mulch to be evenly dispersed for maximum effectiveness.
Tip #5: Re-mulch as needed. Watch your yard throughout the summer. Heavy wind and rain, as well as foot traffic, can disturb your landscaping. This will lead to a need for fresh mulching throughout the season.
Get More Expert Mulching Tips from Hometown Tree
Need help choosing the right type of mulch? Looking for tree care this summer? Contact Hometown Tree today!
