Mulch Rings Help Trees Absorb Rain Water
Mulch rings are the first defense against drought stress, allowing rainwater to seep into the root zone unimpeded. Watch the trunk of a large tree during a rain storm, there is a lot of water that runs down that trunk. Trust us, we have been caught in trees many times during sudden down pours.
Dumping wood chips, a service we do for free, to be used at a clients property
Grass Can Prevent Tree Roots from Receiving Enough Water
Mature trees can transpire over a hundred gallons of water each day during the height of the summer. Unfortunately, tree roots often compete with a sea of grass for the much-needed water, and grass roots are much more efficient at absorbing water than trees. Turf grass forms a strong mat of roots over the top of tree roots. If you doubt this, think about how sod can be cut and then rolled up for transport without the sod falling apart.
Young tree with a proper mulch ring to improve moisture retention and decrease grass competition
Mulch installed in a free-form shape
Mulch Rings Open Pathways to Tree Roots
Mulch rings around trees and shrubs help to break up the grass mat and provide a place where rainwater can infiltrate past grass roots and nourish the roots of the woody plant species as well. The bigger the mulch bed or tree ring, the more water gets to its roots. When you ask, "How big of a ring should we install"? We'll say something like, "How big of a tree ring can you tolerate? The bigger the better."
Our mulch beds, or tree rings, consist of a bed edge around the perimeter (2-3" deep v cut into the lawn around the perimeter of the bed so the mulch stays put), a layer of cardboard, and a 3" layer of wood chips.