Mulch From Dead Oak Trees

Features

• Oak mulch, like other wood mulches, offers aesthetic and plant health benefits. It covers dirt or unsightly ground between plants -- and it provides a visual background and uniform design. Dead oak trees are hardwood, meaning they decay slowly. This ensures the mulch lasts several years without measurable decomposition. The oak wood mulch is an organic layer that settles around plants and moderates soil temperatures while minimizing water evaporation. Dead oak tree mulch is dense compared to pine and less likely to migrate in wind or water.

Arborist Mulch

• Arborist mulch includes branches, leaves and trunk. When a dead oak tree is cut down, an arborist chops or shreds the tree for complete removal. This mixed mulch is textured and breaks down at different rates, with leaves decaying first and larger chips or bark decaying years afterward. This mulch is suited to mulching around trees and perennials as it is long-term, slow-decaying hardwood mulch. Use arborist mulch on slopes and walkways as well as around plants. It packs well, due to the assortment of sizes and shape, and resists erosion from rain. Arborist mulch is usually sold in bulk or by the load in local neighborhoods. Cost is typically low compared to processed mulch.

Processed Mulch

• When dead oak trees are mulched by processors, they usually become bark or chip mulch. Commercial machines chip or shred the trees. The bulk pieces pass through filters and are graded by size. When bagged or bulked for landscape use, this oak mulch is more uniform in size and appearance. It is more pleasing to the eye for street appeal and has a finished look. Commercial oak tree mulch applies quickly due to the graded and more uniform materials. It is sold usually by the cubic foot or yard. Price depends on the mulch grade and availability.

Considerations

• Dead oak tree mulch is durable mulch. It is not suited to annuals that need a quick nutrient fix from decaying nitrogen-rich mulches. Because it is dense and holds water, check the soil periodically to ensure moisture is evaporating and not water-logging plant roots. Rake the mulch away from plants if soil is too wet. Do not use diseased dead oak trees as plant mulch. Evidence is inconclusive that infected dead oak trees spread disease through mulch, but mulch from diseased trees can be used for pathways and other landscape designs without risking plant contact.