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Mulching is a great way to help maintain these valuable assets in your landscape. It helps the soil retain moisture and properly applied eliminates and or curtails the need to weed the area.

Start by removing the grass around the base of the tree out to the end of the drip line. That's the outside edge of where the longest lateral branches reach. You can dig out the grass or sod and move it to the side, put it in your compost bin, or use it to "repair" other bare areas in your lawn.

Or you can choose to cut the grass as short as possible. If you chose this method, you can use either a lawn mower, or if the tree is a mature one that has a root system showing through the top of the ground, you can carefully use a weed whip to get the grass as short as possible. Add about a 2 inch layer of wet newspaper to the area before you begin putting in your mulch. It will help smother out any ungerminated weed seed and encourage earthworms to come to that area. All good things for your trees.

Once the grass has been removed, begin to add a layer of mulch of 4 to 6 inches deep to the area, spreading it all the way out to the end of the drip line. Leave an area of about 6 to 8 inches open, around the base of the tree. You do not want a mulch "volcano", as it can cause a multitude of problems by providing a hiding place for insect pests, as well as being very unsightly.

Thoroughly water down the mulched area to help it "settle" in place. Periodically check the area for weeds that may have germinated. The task of weeding should be simple and/or nonexistent. Do make it a habit to deep water your trees during drought or prolonged dry spells. By leaving an opening around the base of the tree, it can act as a reservoir for water to be absorbed by your tree.

For fruit and nut trees you might want to consider a "living" mulch or a cover crop, such as white clover. The clover acts in much the same way. Providing good moisture retention and a little nitrogen boost to the trees, as clovers are nitrogen fixers. It also has the additional benefit of drawing bees. The increase in pollination will greatly improve your production of fruit and nuts.

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