Mulch: A wonderful natural gift from trees to trees

A staff member at Reitz Tree Care mulching branches and leaves with a powerful chipping machine.

Many materials are used as mulch, in order to reintroduce this vital natural layer used to retain soil moisture, regulate soil temperature, suppress competitive weed growth, support beneficial detritivores, and for aesthetic appeal. It is applied to the soil surface around trees, on paths and on flower beds and vegetable gardens.

In the case of Reitz Tree Care, chipped branches and leaves are a by-product of the pruning by arborists like Charles Reitz, and is a very useful way to dispose of bulky waste. Tree branches and large stems are rather coarse after chipping and are used as a thick and rugged mulch.

Says Charles: “Creating usable organic matter like this is the key to many landscape rehabilitation projects.”

Mulch should be used under trees and shrubs. An un-mulched zone is sometimes left around the plant to prevent stem rot due to accumulated moisture.In natural areas, leaf-fall, bird and insect droppings coupled with rain and natural fungal and bacterial activity is what sustains healthy plant growth. A huge flaw in gardening is the consistent removal of the natural mulch layer that that forms on a daily basis. This raking up under trees sterilises the zone and it becomes devoid of insect and detritivore activity, thereby lessening bird activity and ultimately impoverishing your landscape.