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Be careful of over mulching your plants.

By: B Hirst, Tue Jan 10th, 2006 10:54:14 PM

Sometimes people report to me that their plants seem to die one at a time. They report that they have watered them and mulched them and followed instructions to the best of their abilities. They need help. when plants die one at a time and in groups there is always a problem. We both want to know the answer. They don't want to repeat the problem. I don't want them dissatisified either. Now what is the cause? Sometimes it can be the mulch. Look for tip burns on plants. Tip burns can be the result of esterification of volatiles in cedar mulches. If the mulch had not sufficiently aged before being used as a mulch, this could be the problem. If it appears to continue, I'd suggest that you remove the mulch. You can use it next year so stockpile it, then reuse it again. You must be able to address problems before the plant declines to the point where it is stunted or doomed. Mulch can act as a barrier to air flow to the root zone. Thus limit the amount of mulch. Remember that mulch is like asprin. One or two (inches or tablets) is what the doc recommends. If you use 10 or 15 you too may die. More is not always better. Poor quality mulchs can also contain plant pathogens. Well composted mulches that have a heat history should contain less pathogens. For this reason I try to use mulch sparingly.

You can see more aticles and information about plants at http://www.seedlingsrus.com

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About the author: Bill gives tips on raising nursey stock as he has been raising plants for 45 years. Bill's web sites include http://www.seedlingsrus.com http://www.highlandhillfarm.com and http://www.zone5trees.com Bill's main farm and nursery is located in Doylestown Pa. 20 miles norht of Philadelphia.