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Mulch under Douglas Firs?
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Posted by homersgarden 7 (My Page) on Tue, May 30, 06 at 0:45
We bought a new-to-us house last fall and I am now enjoying the joys of owning five old and large Douglas Firs. While they are beautiful, they do make a huge mess. My quandry now is if I should mulch and if so with what. I am afraid of putting down bark, or yard debris mulch (as that is the most common mulch used here in Oregon) simply because it will quickly become covered with pine needles and other debris from these trees.
I would however, like to clean things up a bit and make it look a little neater and mulch does this. Any ideas? My yard is rather formal simply because the hardscaping and neighborhood sort of dictates this. I have a lot of brick walls and stairs, etc.
Thanks in advance. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Mulch under Douglas Firs?
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| Being a PNW'er, I live among Doug firs myself and other than a profusion of cones and male pollen capsules, I don't find these trees very messy. Very few needles seem to accumulate. Have you anything else planted in the area? A groundcover may work well - something like vinca that forms a thick enough mat to swallow up cones, etc. Otherwise, I'd go with a light bark or wood chip mulch. Nothing too deep to compromise the root system and a wood-based mulch needs little attention and will also accomodate what tree debris may exist. You will be sweeping the paved areas frequently though, if your trees produce as many of the pollen capsules as mine do. |
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