ACM News: Tips from Our Property Management Team
Spring has finally arrived! And nothing brings a landscape back
to life after a long winter like a fresh layer of mulch and crisp bed edging.
While mulching provides numerous benefits to the trees and shrubs in our
communities, it can also be quite costly if not applied properly.
3. Look for opportunities to make enhancements on your property. Oversized, empty mulch beds can be turned into turf to reduce yearly maintenance costs. Identify areas of constant mulch runoff and seek proposals to help keep your neighborhood neat and tidy.
ACM Property Manager Kyle Ayres, our resident Certified
Landscaping Technician, shares tips below on overcoming some common misuses of
mulch. Consider suggesting these to your
landscaping contractor for your association’s common areas or using for your
own yard:
1. Keep mulch from
exceeding 3” in depth. This includes OLD and NEW mulch. Consider removing old
mulch before applying a fresh layer. Too much mulch leads to a decline in plant
health. The extra mulch used leads to increased material costs.
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Excessive mulch around tree trunks can lead to
early death and costly replacement!
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2. Avoid mulching over emerging
perennials and the crowns of shrubs. Mulch should also be kept away from the
trucks of trees.
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| Mulch around the crowns of shrubs such as this Knock Out Rose invites insects, disease and leads to poor plant performance during the season. |
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| A hasty mulch job can bury emerging plants which can stunt growth and lead to crown rot and other diseases. |
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| For areas where mulch is constantly lost due to erosion, consider alternatives, such as ground cover, to hold the ground in place. |