Re: Decomposed granite as a mulch
- Subject: Re: Decomposed granite as a mulch
- From: M* &* L* D*
- Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2002 06:52:21 -0800
>For whatever reason, in FL the advice is against mulching citrus trees.
>Look in commercial orange groves and you will see a clear areas under the
>trees.
Likewise, all the commercial orange groves I've seen in this area of
California have bare soil.
One reason is that bare soil minimizes cold damage during winter. The soil
absorbs heat during the day and releases the heat at night (thereby warming
the aboveground parts of the tree). A mulch or a cover crop (including
weeds) interfere with this process (prevents the soil warming during the day
and releasing heat at night). I've seen the results of a study where the
temperature effect was measured; the bare soil resulted in the warmest air
at night, then a mulch, and the worst was a cover crop.
--Mark
San Joaquin Valley, California
