Spring is slow in arriving, but thoughts of doing yardwork outdoors abound. This spring, to help all of your trees, including your street trees, save money and skip the mulch.

If you must add mulch to a tree, use natural wood mulch and add no more than 1 inch to what’s already there, or no more than 2 inches if you remove all that was there before, and keep it away from the trunk. This also applies to rocks or stones.

Why do we recommend this? Thick layers of mulch can fight off weeds and some mulch can help keep moisture in the ground, but too much can prevent air and water, especially from a light rain, from getting to the roots. It can also trap moisture against the trunk, leading to trunk rot, fungus and disease which can prematurely kill your tree.

If you or the previous owner has piled up mulch on a tree before, you can fix the problem very easily. Watch this video to see how.

So, when you’re working on your own yard, be careful of the mulch. Too much of a good thing, like mulch, may damage the very thing you’re trying to care for.