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Mulching under bark

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  • 15-10-2021 1:15pm
    #1
    bungaro79
    Registered Users Posts: 1,213 ✭✭✭


    Hi

    we've an Acer and a couple of Pieris at the side of our lawn. As you can see in the photos, there's a layer of bark to help with weeds. There is also a layer of weed membrane underneath that. I'm wondering if I should be adding a bit of organic material to the soil in here or would feeding them well with something like Vitax Q4 be enough?

    Thanks

    IMG-522d8c1ca96b031d0f7b878f89cfe880-V.jpg
    IMG-863d2cc1762db1c9a820f2ef048fb22d-V.jpg




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    #2
    standardg60
    Registered Users Posts: 4,691 ✭✭✭standardg60


    They look perfectly healthy as they are which is good as it would be pretty difficult to add organic matter to the soil now with the membrane in place.

    Any liquid or granular feed is fine to use, but no need for them until Spring now.



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    #3
    looksee
    Registered Users Posts: 28,429 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    As Standard says, they look happy, I would not feed trees that are healthy, it just makes soft growth. Also it will make a mess of your membrane/chippings arrangement - it is almost impossible in my experience to get membrane back as perfectly as it goes down first go. I'd leave them alone.



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    #4
    MacDanger
    Registered Users Posts: 2,597 ✭✭✭MacDanger


    IMG_20220108_130919.jpg

    Hi


    We have some beech hedging that was planted last year and I want to put down something to keep the weeds down around them. I was thinking of putting down cardboard (leftover from Christmas) around the base of them, wet it and cover over with a thin covering of turf (peat) mould to stop it from blowing away. Will this work okay? Do I need to leave a little gap around the stem if each plant?

    Thanks



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    #5
    looksee
    Registered Users Posts: 28,429 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    Putting down carboard is a great idea, however a thin layer of mulch (peat/bark/whatever) is unlikely to hold it down if it is a breezy spot. Certainly put bark etc on top but may be a good idea to weight the card down as well until it is settled. We put down big pieces of corrugated card from packing boxes and weighted it in places with a few stones, and pieces of tree trunk that missed being cut up for firewood, they have proved so useful we have given up any idea of cutting it! When it was all bedded in we put bark mulch on top.



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