Mulch

Please settle an argument. You say to spread no more than 1-2 inches of mulch around a tree. Since mulch holds moisture in soil, isn't more mulch even better? Seems logical - but more isn't always better in this case. Mulch does shade soil and slow evaporation by about 25 percent. When mulch gets too deep, however, tree roots will begin to grow into the mulch seeking moisture. This happens partly because in a light rain mulch gets moist, but the water never trickles down past the mulch.

How should I mulch a vegetable garden? Do I need to mulch all of it? Anywhere you don't want weeds will require mulch. Mulch helps retain moisture and moderate soil temperatures, but weed suppression is the No. 1 goal because weeds steal water, nutrients and sunlight from vegetables. Organic mulches of mowed leaves or straw with three to four layers of newspaper underneath make an impenetrable barrier to weeds while allowing rain to soak through. These will last the growing season and decompose over the winter, feeding the soil.

It is encouraging to see Baltimore making an effort to save our mature trees as well as aggressively plant new ones ("Speak for the trees," March 2). Unfortunately, many new trees are sabotaged from the start by the mounds of mulch that are piled around them. Horticulturists - including the horticulturist at the U.S. National Arboretum - have written about this practice and have tried to explain how harmful it is, but landscapers persist in it, and no one seems to view it as a problem.

Members of the Homeschool Heart in Hand 4-H Club met May 8 for their annual work day at Black Horse Fire Station and McKendree Cemetery in Black Horse, MD. Members created a new flower bed at Black Horse Station and pruned bushes and trees, planted flowers, weeded and mulched the finished beds at McKendree Cemetery. The club wishes to thank Smith Hardware, Jarrettsville for its donation of flowers and A.D. Heston Tree Service and Mulch of Street for its donation of mulch.

Question: Did shredded oak leaves make my lawn acidic? I use a mulching mower on leaves, but this year I had to apply lime on my lawn to raise pH because it had become so acidic. Can I only put oak leaves on acid-loving plants like azaleas? Aren't pine needles acidic, too? Answer: This is a persistent myth. Oak leaves — and pine needles — decompose to about neutral pH. They won't make your soil acidic. (Maryland soils tend toward an acid pH naturally.

The city's public works department will turn residents' old Christmas trees into mulch for the entire month of January at two locations in Baltimore. Residents can take their trees to drop-off locations at 2840 Sisson Street and 701 Reedbird Avenue in Middle Branch/Reedbird Parks between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. If residents bring their own bags or containers, they can take away mulch for personal use in their gardens, city officials said. Trees will also be picked up by public works employees between Jan. 4 and Jan. 28. The department will pick up trees on regularly scheduled trash days, and residents should place the trees where they normally place their trash for pick-up.

Harford countians have recycled 20,500 Christmas trees this year, more than twice the number collected in the countywide program last year.County officials credited curbside recycling and haulers, who advertised free pickup days, for the success of the program in its fifth year.The recycled trees are ground into mulch, which is available year-round to county residents at the Harford Waste Disposal Center in Street.In exchange for the trees, residents receive a coupon redeemable for a free evergreen seedling.

The city's Department of Public Works, in cooperation with the Carroll County Department of Natural Resource Protection, will be grindingChristmas trees into mulch from 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. tomorrow at the city-owned vacant lot behind the city Maintenance Shop at Tuc Roadand Locust Street.Residents are requested to drop off their trees during those hours tomorrow. Christmas trees should be stripped of all ornaments and decorations, including tinsel and icicles.The mulch from the trees will be used for public purposes.

Q. A really disgusting, yellow and brown gelatinous mass is growing on the mulch in my flower beds. Is the mulch contaminated with something? It doesn't smell bad, but I'm afraid to touch it.A. You've described a slime mold known as "dog vomit fungus." Many different kinds of mushrooms and unusual-looking fungi will grow in mulch, especially when rainfall and humidity are high. Your mulch is not contaminated; the spores of these fungi are naturally occurring. Your unsightly problem poses no health hazard.

There is an easy way to discard a Christmas tree -- just throw it out with the rest of the trash. But thousands of Marylanders recycle their trees. Baltimore County, Anne Arundel, Harford and Carroll counties reward their trouble by giving a coupon redeemable for a free evergreen seedling in the spring. Cash-strapped Baltimore city gives free mulch in exchange -- as long as the recycling family brings its own container.We enthusiastically support this recycling program. Taking the tree to a mulching site is no pain.

Thank you to all of Catonsville for helping make the 12th annual Catonsville Middle School fundraiser a success. It was a success, thanks to support from the community and a core group of dedicated volunteers, some who have children in the school but many who do not. Local businesses donating manpower and equipment is the backbone of this operation. The volunteers would not have moved 14 tractor-trailers worth of mulch without their support. We would like to thank the following businesses: John Giles of Knockorp, ABC Rentals, Wall to Wall construction/remodeling, 21st Century Solar and Electricity, Build Source, Woodland Landscaping, NDX and Enterprise Rentals.

Please settle an argument. You say to spread no more than 1-2 inches of mulch around a tree. Since mulch holds moisture in soil, isn't more mulch even better? Seems logical - but more isn't always better in this case. Mulch does shade soil and slow evaporation by about 25 percent. When mulch gets too deep, however, tree roots will begin to grow into the mulch seeking moisture. This happens partly because in a light rain mulch gets moist, but the water never trickles down past the mulch.

Anne Arundel County Fire officials said Wednesday at 5 p.m.  that crews had controlled an outdoor brush, wood and mulch fire in the 700 block of Pittman Road, near Arundel Cove and Curtis Bay. According to Division Chief Keith D. Swindle, the department received a call at about 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, for a fire at NOVA Recycling, in the 700 block of Pittman Road in Curtis Bay. Crews arrived at the scene to find a “heavy volume of fire” from...

Just a reminder for those keen on "green" living that Christmas trees make great mulch.  Residents of Anne Arundel , Baltimore and eastern Howard counties can simply put their trees out for curbside collection in early January with other recyclables. Or, if they prefer (or miss the pickup window), they can take the trees to various drop off locations for grinding up into mulch. Folks living in Harford and western Howard counties can drop off their trees for recycling at local landfills or other sites.  Carroll County has offered the same drop off service in prior years for residents of non-incorporated areas there - town dwellers may also have curbside pickup.  Click on the links above for information about your local jurisdiction, drop off locations, pickup dates and other details.

After my peonies and roses bloom, should I cut off the spent blooms? In both cases, after flowers fade they proceed to the next step in reproduction: seeds. Peony seed pods are not very attractive or useful, so cut off the old flowers and stems to prevent the peony from wasting energy on them. Spent roses, too, are usually removed before they produce rose hips, which contain their seeds. A generous pruning, however, of the flower, stem and some leaves will stimulate growth and often a second flush of flowers.

I used to have dozens of monarch butterflies in my garden — now almost none. How can I attract them again? Research showed that the precipitous decline in monarchs a couple of years ago was mainly because of extreme weather, illegal logging in Mexico and herbicide use, which have almost wiped out the food source of monarchs — milkweed. We can't counter the first two causes but we can plant milkweed or ornamentals in the milkweed family such as butterfly weed. Without a food source for monarch caterpillars to eat, there can be no monarchs.

My husband and I have leaves.Actually what we have are oak trees, lots of them, and with oak trees come leaves, unless the gypsy moths have eaten them all right down to skeletons; and after a season or two of that, you needn't worry about your oak trees any more.But the county, bless it, sprayed our trees back in May when the gypsy moths were still tiny obnoxious worms dropping down our shirts and into our potato salad out at the picnic table. I'm not a big fan of chemical pesticides, but on the morning the helicopter passed back and forth over our trees spraying Dimilin, I stood in the sun room with the cats and the elderly hound, cheering its progress.

Harford County considers its 4-year-old yard waste recycling program a huge success. Residents are jam-packing containers at the six county collection sites so much that the bins must be emptied every day -- and the one in Fallston is emptied up to four times daily.The county turns the yard waste into mulch or compost, which is sold for $7 and $6 per cubic yard, respectively, said Joseph P. Rutherford, superintendent of solid waste."We sell out of mulch and compost most Saturdays. Some Saturdays we have had 150 pickup trucks here to buy mulch.

It is encouraging to see Baltimore making an effort to save our mature trees as well as aggressively plant new ones ("Speak for the trees," March 2). Unfortunately, many new trees are sabotaged from the start by the mounds of mulch that are piled around them. Horticulturists - including the horticulturist at the U.S. National Arboretum - have written about this practice and have tried to explain how harmful it is, but landscapers persist in it, and no one seems to view it as a problem.

Richard Ruff "Dick" Stanfield, founder and president of Edrich Lumber Inc. who had been active in community affairs, died Feb. 15 of heart failure at Northwest Hospital Center. The longtime Windsor Mill resident was 77. The son of farmers, Mr. Stanfield was born in Baltimore and raised on the family dairy farm at McDonogh Road and Church Lane in Randallstown. After graduating from Milford Mill High School in 1952, Mr. Stanfield earned a bachelor's degree in 1956 from the University of Maryland, College Park.