Viewing post #1195388 by Weedwhacker

dyzzypyxxy said:Strongly advise against using river stones as mulch. It will cook the roots, not insulate them while still letting moisture evaporate. Then you will be faced with removing stones from your garden. Trust me, you will regret it SO much if you do that. Stones as mulch belong in a desert where you don't want ANYTHING to grow.

A thick layer of wood chip mulch will insulate the soil to keep it cool, help retain moisture in the soil and add organic material to the soil as it breaks down. Yes, it's not quite as "permanent" as stones but it does a much better job if your goal is to try to make the tree live and be healthy. You will have to buy a couple of new bags of mulch each year to freshen it and keep the layer thick enough to discourage weeds but in the long run it will be better, cheaper and the tree will live.

Please, please remove that black landscape cloth and buy some bags of wood chip mulch to help your tree recover.

I SO agree with this! In the past I've been inspired to use the "weed barrier" several times; in my experience, although weeds may not grow up through it, weeds still grow there (in whatever sort of mulch you may have used on top of it) from seeds that inevitably find there way onto it. They become more of a problem, in my opinion, than just having weeds growing out of the soil. And rocks of any kind... I've also had unfortunate experience with them, what a PITA !!