Let’s begin with a few definitions. A native plant species is one that occurs naturally in its ecoregion and habitat where, over the course of time, it adapted to physical conditions and other species in the system. A key point is that a specific plant can’t be called native without saying where it is native to.
So, for a native plant species, we need to know its natural region and habitat. Natural regions can span several states and into Canada or Mexico, or they can be small areas with specific soil and climate situations. A red maple’s natural region extends over all states east of the Mississippi River, a few states on the western side of the Mississippi River, and into southern Canada. In contrast, the auricled twayblade (Neottia auriculata) grows in the Adirondacks high peaks. A non-native plant is called exotic, meaning that its native region and habitat are not here in our area. Many exotic plants come from similar habitats, so they grow well here. Wisteria, daylilies, hosta, and lilacs are popular examples. Some exotic plants brought to our area become invasive. When a non-native plant thrives in a location to the point that it takes over native plant habitats and chokes out other species, it has become invasive. Creeping Charlie, Japanese knotweed, and Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima, sometimes called China sumac), are examples that are all around us. It is very important to know whether an exotic plant is invasive. Here are a few websites that list invasive plant species of New York: https://nysipm.cornell.edu/agriculture/ornamental-crops/greenhouse-resources/alternatives-ornamental-invasive-plants-sustainable-solution-new-york-state/ http://rocklandcce.org/environment/invasive-plants http://orleans.cce.cornell.edu/environment/invasive-nuisance-species/invasive-plants One of our best resources for plant and growing information is the Cooperative Extension service. Cooperative extensions have their offices in the county seat of each New York county, and their information is specific to that county. Niagara Cooperative Extension Service is in Lockport (716) 433-8839 x226 http://cceniagaracounty.org/gardening In the next post, we will learn about nativars and cultivars of native plants as well as the benefits of including native plants in a garden. SOURCES: https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/what-native-plant http://orleans.cce.cornell.edu/environment/invasive-nuisance-species/invasive-plants http://ccecolumbiagreene.org/gardening/lawns-ornamentals/native-plants https://nysipm.cornell.edu/agriculture/ornamental-crops/greenhouse-resources/alternatives-ornamental-invasive-plants-sustainable-solution-new-york-state/ http://rocklandcce.org/environment/invasive-plants
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What is a mulch volcano? It is a large buildup of mulch, intentionally placed around the root flare of a tree and often up its trunk as well. A common practice visible in parking lots of commercial areas, these mulch volcanoes are done to make trees look pleasing and to suffocate weeds to reduce maintenance over the summer months. This practice creates a “lollipop effect,” where tree trunks appear to rise straight up out of the mulch.
Mulch volcanoes kill trees. This landscaping trend causes stress and difficulty for trees trying to survive in urban and suburban habitats. The popular PBS TV show, “This Old House,” produced an informative video showing what is in a mulch volcano and the damage this practice causes: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fI12XNNqldA Tree experts from Cornell, across New York State, and around the country have condemned mulch volcanoes as extremely harmful to the health of trees. s3.amazonaws.com/assets.cce.cornell.edu/attachments/22049/April_11_2017_volcano_mulching.pdf?149192 Consider that mulch does more than spruce up your yard. It could ruin your landscape if not done right. Your yard is an ecosystem, and death of a tree removes something out of the ecosystem, leading to consequences that could drop the value of your home. A walk in the woods will show you tree flares, exposed trunks, and tree roots living above ground naturally. The base of the trunk of the tree, whether newly planted or established, must be exposed and flare out. This is the basal root flare, the transition between the trunk and the root system. The root flare needs to be exposed to allow excess moisture to escape, preventing growth of fungus and minimizing rot and decay. Mulch can help a newly planted tree by keeping its root system covered, holding nutrients in the soil, hindering weed growth, and holding moisture on the soil line to keep young trees hydrated. Mulch prevents soil compaction, which is bad for root development, and it reduces the amount of freezing and cold exposure to the root system by insulating the ground. Mulch volcanoes begin as a newly planted tree needs coverage to protect its young roots and base. Placing too much mulch around the flare and trunk creates the first layer of buildup. The following seasons, as more mulch is placed around the tree's flare and trunk, the mulch mats itself together to form a barrier. The constricting layers of mulch bury those areas that naturally need to be exposed. As mulch volcanoes bury tree trunks and flares, moisture collects that leads to rot around these vulnerable areas. Once rot sets into the trunk and flare, bark and protective structures become weakened and exposed. The bark cracks, peels, or comes off, and internal structures are vulnerable to insects, disease, decay, and malformation. These all move in and slowly kill the tree. Mulch volcanoes have several side effects, including creating a compost pile, where the material becomes hot enough to kill the inner bark of young trees or prevent the natural hardening off period where trees prepare for winter. These mountainous monstrosities promote growth of secondary roots in the mulch rather than in the surrounding soil. Roots circle around the tree and can eventually choke off the main roots. In periods of heavy rainfall, the tree can drown or be more susceptible to rot due to the sponge-like nature of mulch. Heavy layers of mulch can be colonized by water-repelling fungi, which will actually turn the pile into a hydrophobic area, leaving the tree in drought conditions despite receiving water. The proper way to mulch around a tree appears more like a doughnut. The depth of the ring should be 2 to 4 inches at most. For soils that are poorly drained such as clay, only 2 inches of mulch is needed. Once the mulch is applied, pull the mulch away from the tree trunk by 5 to 6 inches. You should be able to see the tree trunk and the flare of the tree. The diameter of the mulch should extend to the drip line of the canopy. An important factor to keep in mind is that although mulch color will fade, this doesn’t mean we should top off the organic matter with a few inches of fresh material. Measure the mulch levels before deciding to add more, or you could end up creating a deadly environment for the tree. |
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