Do You Even Vert Mulch, Bro?

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  • #4
Yea I was thinking something like that. Normally I just dump a shovel over the hole and rake it in but this custy is a little anal to say the least. I was just wondering what y'all be using.
 
vert mulch... I'm a skeptic.

potholes of yummy nutrients....draw new roots in? the compost has to leach/shower over the available roots...little weed spots too.

for soil applications, i've used soil drenches with saturating the root ball.
I would think, rehab the soil to mimic, it's particular genetic forest floor
Foliar spray? Live and Direct?

I dunno, I don't mess with fertilizers...just a trimmer.
 
Good for soil compaction that isn't typical in a natural setting. Normally people don't run 1,200+ pound zero turns through the forest. I do see it used as a fix all often, and it certainly won't help when soil quality isn't the issue. The cheap soil test kits on Amazon work well to determine if you have a candidate for a vert. Mulch when used with good visual diagnosis. As for a funnel we use sticks to get it in there.
 
Another way people are trying to fix what we've done. I can see some benefits but most likely a bandaid. Most I've seen sell it as a fix all. Airspade and a mulch ring would do better in my opinion. Of course this is from what I've read. Very rare for these things in my area and all but non existent for who I work for.
Great quote Jim
 
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  • #11
I pushed for removal but dude wants to try and save it. White oak heavy decline.
 
Last one I did was an English Walnut. Roots got cut on one side when septic lines were replaced. Wisteria vines killing limbs. Horrible compaction on 2/3 of the RZ.
SO we vert mulched it with worm compost with worms in it. Did a good soaking of fish emulsion and some Super Thrive. Leafed out nice the next year, save for the scalded limbs we were hoping might hang on for a bit.
Someday it will probably be a removal. Just not this year. Might hit again this year if the ol fella is still attached.
 
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  • #14
Last one I did was an English Walnut. Roots got cut on one side when septic lines were replaced. Wisteria vines killing limbs. Horrible compaction on 2/3 of the RZ.
SO we vert mulched it with worm compost with worms in it. Did a good soaking of fish emulsion and some Super Thrive. Leafed out nice the next year, save for the scalded limbs we were hoping might hang on for a bit.
Someday it will probably be a removal. Just not this year. Might hit again this year if the ol fella is still attached.

I hear ya but the whites I've seen with this much decline are goners. Maybe 1/16 total canopy remains.
 
Nothing is effective in Turf areas.... Turf sucks the life out of trees.

Turf comes first for water...The tree barely hangs on... The humans want turf..
so they rip out the old sod and bring in the new sod....and the shad continues...

And the water schedule is all crazy trying to appease both.
 
Hear hear!

I've actually had much more success than expected this summer in convincing people to replace turf areas with mulch beds, it's really encouraging in a lot of ways. Easier sell in areas where turf, trees, or both are low in vigor.

I learned a cool mantra, something like "your turf should be a rug in the landscape, not a carpet", from a member here who rarely posts, JD300.
 
I don't offer vertical mulching anymore. It felt too much like selling snake oil to me. The science on the issue is inconclusive at best. I've never seen any good research showing that it actually works to improve nutrient availability or soil moisture retention. Drilling holes might relieve compaction and improve water penetration, if the holes were closely spaced enough, but filling the holes with mulch or fertilizer won't help with anything at all as far as I can tell.

For declining trees like the one you describe, I recommend a compost application 1/2" deep on turf and 2" in garden beds. Unlike vertical mulching, putting down compost actually does improve nutrient availability, as well as enriching the soil ecosystem because compost contains all the microorganisms that have relationships with trees. It's like a probiotic supplement for the soil.
 
Creating soil stratification can lead to problems as well. Putting compost and mulch on top of compacted degraded soil isn't going to solve the problem either. The compaction has to be releived.
 
Good post, Bounce! I don't know all of the exact science of it, but it's all about getting some life into the soil! I've found that landscaping fabric destroys soil ecology, also the died/shredded cedar/cypress mulch is no crap.
 
Creating soil stratification can lead to problems as well. Putting compost and mulch on top of compacted degraded soil isn't going to solve the problem either. The compaction has to be releived.

Putting down compost DOES relieve soil compaction. The chemical changes in the soil due to the decomposition process and the life cycles of all the living organisms are what do it. This has been proven far more effective than drilling holes.
 
Kevin, what I'seen in older mulch beds is that eventually compaction is relieved compared to adjacent areas with no mulch. Maybe from bugs? I also read, I think on this site, that certain plants like carrots will help with that, sounds like a cool idea.
 
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