After many years of serving as chairperson of the South Brunswick Shade Tree Commission, I have passed the leadership on to the very capable Diane Leonard.
As the new president of the N.J. Shade Tree Federation, I am hoping that the visibility of my new position will help me remedy a frustration that I was not able to resolve in South Brunswick. I was never able to prevent landscapers from killing trees by overmulching.
Certified tree experts and professors of forestry all agree that piling up mulch against trees will eventually kill the trees. Perhaps because it takes years to kill trees this way, uneducated landscapers don’t believe that overmulching kills trees. They like the look of the big piles of mulch and heap on more each year. Homeowners assume landscapers are paid professionals who know what they are doing, and copy their methods. South Brunswick will needlessly lose thousands of trees because of this ignorant practice. Mulch should not be deeper than 3 or 4 inches and it should not touch the tree bark.
If homeowners would rake away the excess mulch, many trees could still be saved. Those who use the service of landscapers should insist that they mulch properly, or hire another landscaper who knows more and cares more about trees. Please support Diane Leonard and the Shade Tree Commission in their efforts to preserve our trees.
Joan Simon
South Brunswick