Mulching under the tree - Knowledgebase Question

Sacramento, CA (Zone 8A)
Avatar for elsphleb000
Question by elsphleb000
February 6, 2007
Hi...I have a huge Hackberry tree in the middle of lawn and want to put a small retaining wall around it. There are exposed roots and they have dried out and I'm afraid to put mulch on them for fear they would rot...how do cover them inside of my retaining wall?? Any help or suggestions would be great! Thank you for your time!


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Answer from NGA
February 6, 2007
Changing the soil depth over tree roots can cause problems with rot but a few inches of organic mulch such as bark nuggets shouldn't cause any damage. Don't use weed barrier in the area, simply spread bark over the site to cover the roots. You might also consider planting groundcover in small pockets, avoiding the roots of the tree. Fragaria (ornamental strawberry) is drought tolerant so it won't require lots of watering, and it will scramble over the bark nuggets, eventually rooting in the soil beneath. Best wishes with your garden!

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