Re: Decomposed granite as a mulch

L Schmiege wrote:
> 
> Dear Moira,
> 
> I was told in Florida not to mulch citrus trees. It looks like you are very
> successful mulching yours.  At the present time there is a drought here and
> I thought mulching  would be helpful. Why am I getting two different
> directions?  I would appreciate your input.  Thanks

Hi Lorraine

I am simply amazed and bewildered at this advice, as the fibrous root
systems of Citrus trees, closely resembing those of Rhododendrons and
Camellias, mark them out as forest dwellers. This group typically feeds
by a fine mesh of roots as close to the surface as they can get without
suffering dessication -just as they would find possible in the litter
layer of a forest. Exposing these trees to bare ground, or (as is too
often done in gardens) competition of strong-rooting grasses, is pure
cruelty and most counter-productive leading to sad pale growth,
excessive water-loss and consequent reduced and poor-quality crops.

The only warning I would give in applying a mulch to your trees would to
be to keep it clear of the trunks, as moist organic matter against the
bark can sometimes soften it enough to admit a collar-rotting fungus. I
have my citrus stems protected by a little "fence" of plastic lawn
edging which leaves a clear space about six or eight inches across free
of the mulch.

So my advice is get a mulch on as quickly as possible, especially if you
are dealing with drought conditions. Just about anything would do. but
you could get very good results by putting on  a layer of grass
clippings and topping this with wood chips (for preference) or some sort
of shredded bark. You can then follow this up with your granite chips if
you like, but first providing some organic matter to activate the root
zone is almost essential if the trees have been living in bare ground up
to now. Make sure you carry the mulched layer out far enough. The
greatest concentration of feeding roots is always from around to just
outside the dripline (the spread of the branches).

Because of their near-surface rooting habits, citrus demand a lot of
moisture and I would suggest a good slow watering over several hours
just before the mulch is applied. Once it is in place you should need to
apply water quite infrequently and only after checking under the mulch
to see if more is really needed.

I am not sure how you have been feeding your trees up to now, but
presume in the absence of mulching you have been using a chemical
regime. If you can establish  a healthy zone of properly protected
feeding roots  on your trees this should become unnecessary and indeed
undesirable.. My high-producing Meyer lemon and grapefruit live very
successfully on an annual modest feed of compost (a layer no more than
1" thick) and an occasional addition of some grassclippings.

Moira
-- 
Tony & Moira Ryan
Wainuiomata NZ, 
where it's Summer in January and Winter in July.
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