Holistic arborist

So it's bad to be overstressed, overwrought and overweight, now add overmulched to the list.

Overmulching is the new plague on the landscape, and the worst place to overmulch is around trees.

It's timely to think about tree health, as we enjoy the last blaze of fall colour from the maples, dogwoods and charming sassafras trees (if you're lucky enough to have one).

The chilling news on overmulching is right there on the Trees Are Good section of www.isa-arbor.com.

I had a first hand account of this harmful trend from Arborist Matt Follett. Follett has his own business, Arborvitae Inc. (905-933-8733) in the Niagara Peninsula, and has seen first hand the explosion of "mulch volcanoes" around trees.

"Mulching is good fall maintenance for trees, but four inches is too much, two to two-and-a-half is much better for the tree," Follett explains. But what he sees out in the real world is mountains of mulch - up to eight inches, piled right up to the trunk of the tree. Too much mulch can trap moisture in the root zone causing root rot, piling mulch right against the trunk may lead to insect, disease and rodent attack, and matted mulch can prevent movement of air, water and nutrients into the soil.

But mulch properly and it's like giving your tree a trip to the spa. Follett's favorite mulch recipe is a mixture of composted wood chips and leaf mould. You likely won't find this in a bag at the garden centre. Investigate instead getting an arborist to deliver woodchips to your home.

"We love to get rid of wood chips," Follett says, "and if they've been composted for six months, they're great."

Notice the emphasis on wood chips, versus bark chips. Follett likes the chips because they break down faster improving the structure of the soil.

So while you're floating around in the garden basking in the last of the autumn colour, give something back to your trees.

Prior to adding that perfect layer of mulch, consider lightly aerating the soil underneath trees and shrubs.

"Use a garden fork and just break up the top layer of soil, it helps with the movement of water and air to the root system," Follett says.

Compaction of soil stresses plants. Follett says studies have shown that vibration from the constant flow of traffic on a busy street compacts soil, so a light aeration and mulch helps to combat this.

Follett strikes me as a "holistic" arborist. Giving common sense advice about tree care that keen home gardeners can follow.

His ideas are easy to embrace. He likes planting smaller trees because they establish quicker and grow faster than large caliper specimens. He doesn't like wrapping evergreens for the winter, "Most of them will shed snow and ice, and if you wrap them they don't build up the strength they need to withstand winter stresses," he says. Keep watering, Follett says, especially evergreens right until freeze up, "If we have a dry spell, one inch of water a week for newly planted trees is beneficial."

As for pruning Follett says it's an art and a science. "Every leaf surface is food production for the tree," Follett says, "Most trees don't need pruning when they are being planted, and thinning for health is not a sound practice."

Follett climbs trees to prune, rather than using a bucket truck, which usually means you have to "prune your way in" to get close to the tree. The art of tree climbing has been revolutionized by the availability of rock climbing gear. His recommended book for pruning is An Illustrated Guide to Pruning by Edward Gilman.

I get the feeling Follett likes it up there in the treetops. "My favorite trees to climb are the London plane trees, oaks and surprisingly willows."

And autumn is his favorite time of the year to be in the business of tending to trees.

We swap favorites for fall colour and agree there are few rivals to the native sassafras tree (Sassafras albidum, Zones 5-9) with its large charming leaves shaped like a child's mitten.

He also loves the sweet gum (Liquidambar styraciflua, Zones 6-9), larches, gingko, and dogwoods. I add the serviceberry and crabapples - not favorites of his since his company spends a lot of time "cleaning them up."

Follett's thoughtful ways with trees reminds me of the famous Dr. Alex Shigo, called "the father of modern aboriculture." I interviewed Shigo once and his advice to all of us was, "Love your trees!"

It's evident that Matt Follett does, and it's contagious.