Is Red Mulch Good for Evergreen Trees?

Color Considerations

• Mulch color does not affect tree growth in any way. Because of its ability to reflect light, red mulch stimulates tomato plants and peppers; however, horticulturists have not proven that the use of a specific mulch color will benefit trees. Choose the dye color that best suits your aesthetic taste. Some landscapers prefer natural bark colors, while others prefer color-enhanced selections.

Dye Safety

• Most red mulch suppliers use vegetable dyes or iron oxide colorants to stain their mulch products a bright red color. Iron oxides do not harm the environment. Check the product label for information about the manufacturing process, and look for products certified by the Mulch & Soil Council. MSC-certified products conform to proper labeling requirements and contain no copper, chromium or arsenic contaminants. Some retailers offer eco-friendly, spray-on mulch enhancers, which allow you to dye faded mulch.

Precautions

• After you have removed the sod around your evergreen trees, apply a layer of mulch that is no more than 4 inches deep. In subsequent years, you may wish to refresh your landscape with more mulch, but too much will choke your trees. By keeping the mulch at 4 inches, your evergreens will stay healthy. Never allow the mulch to touch the base of your tree. Keep the mulch 6 inches away from the tree trunk, and extend the mulch outward to the drip line. In wet site areas, do not use mulch; mulch will keep the ground too wet in areas with poor drainage.

Advantages of Mulching Evergreens

• Any organic mulch product will provide your conifers with insulation, extra moisture and nutrients. Mulch applications control weeds that compete for water and prevent soil erosion below your evergreen trees. While most landscapers use shredded wood or wood chips around evergreens, you may also use pine needles, straw or well-rotted manure. Pine needles decompose slowly, and straw is less pricey than bags of shredded wood.