Best Mulch For Winter Tree Prep

Sherri Harrah:
I’m Sherri with HomeShow Garden Pros. I’m here with Ed Dolphin, ISA Certified Arborist, and he is going to walk us through what we need to do to get ready for winter.

Ed Dolphin:
Sherri, one of the things that I like the best is mulch. The best mulch you can buy is pine straw. The most expensive mulch you can buy is pine straw. It lasts a long time, but as it’s breaking down, it’s creating humic acids, which feeds the soil. Ultimately, healthy soil equals healthy plants.

Sherri Harrah:
Okay.

Ed Dolphin:
Pine straw is good. Hardwood mulch, it washes away, and requires being replenished, probably every two years. This layer of pine straw right here will last for five years.

Sherri Harrah:
Okay, wow.

Ed Dolphin:
Yeah. The other thing that I really like is MicroLife with humic acids, or with humates. Put this stuff over your grass. Literally, it’s compost broken down to where it’s ready to go right now.

Sherri Harrah:
So, you would put it on with a fertilizer spreader everywhere?

Ed Dolphin:
I’d put it on with fertilizer spreader.

Sherri Harrah:
And that will, in turn, feed the tree as well?

Ed Dolphin:
You’re feeding the soil the humic acids. This stuff will eventually provide humic acids, but it takes time. This stuff right here is instant. It’s like instant fix. And when you do that to your soil, you’re doing that to your plants.

Sherri Harrah:
Great. And then one more thing I want to add too, is that fertilizer in itself?

Ed Dolphin:
Yeah.

Sherri Harrah:
Okay.

Ed Dolphin:
So for the liquids, I love Ocean Harvest and Super Seaweed. They’re fantastic products. They deliver instantly, versus a granular. I love MicroLife, the granular, but it takes time for it to break down and get into the soil. This stuff does it instantly.

Sherri Harrah:
Wow.

Ed Dolphin:
And it’s so easy. You deliver it with a five gallon jug of water.

Sherri Harrah:
And just pour it on.

Ed Dolphin:
And just pour it on.

Sherri Harrah:
Great. For more great tips like this, join us on HomeShow Garden Pros, from 07:00 to 09:00, Saturday mornings.