So I’ve seen these coconut mulch disks for winterizing and others that are rubber for weed protection and so forth. I saw them on mr.maple but not sure which they used and for what purpose. anyone have experience with them? What are our thoughts? thanks
@Margot I think should give details https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/mulch/using-coconut-coir-mulch.htm
@Margot here is what I’ve been seeing https://www.amazon.ca/Envelor-Tree-Ring-Weed-Control/dp/B07MQY5NCR
I have one that came with my Black Lace, it seems to be working very well, I've not had to pull any weeds out of that pot, unlike some of the bark mulched ones.
Lots of nurseries over here in the UK use these to stop having to weed, as can be seen by N @D97x7 in his last posting. Not sure what others do when they get these home, but I remove and mulch with a horticultural pine bark. D
I use them sometimes and find there are pros and cons. I noticed that when you water the pots it does not seem to get trough the mats evenly so that is a con imo. It does however help when you suspect having vine weevils as they tend to sit under them so it is easy to spot them and get rid of them. This year I seem to have more of them so this makes it easier to keep under control as they hide during the day and can do great damage to the roots in containers.
I was thinking to add them to my pots when I winterized them. I currently wrap the pots but I don’t do anything to the soil. Maybe the coconut disks not the rubber ones might be a good idea for added root protection from frost
I've wrapped my pots in bubble wrap when the Winters have been very cold, but nothing on top, as I do like the roots to breath. Just thought I would mention it Lisa. D
@Margot these are the plastic / rubber version Mulch Tree Ring - WOWRubber There is another version at Canadian Tire “perma mulch” I don’t think I would buy ———
Calling a rubber or plastic ring 'mulch' is a joke . . . there are so many advantages to using organic mulches that rubber rings do not possess - with the exception of suppressing weeds. Paraphrasing from a couple of websites I looked at: Rubber mulch rings can possibly hurt trees because the rubber (or plastic) will break down over the years and leach toxic chemicals into the soils the rubber breaks down over time. They prevent air exchange as mentioned by @Acerholic, above. It would depend partly on the size of the ring and the size of the tree but there's a good likelihood that using them would not contribute to the health of the tree. I'd never use them either . . . organic mulch is probably cheaper anyway.
I use both coir and burlap fiber mulch mats. The burlap lasts much longer and is quite cost effective at large size for planting, the circular mats are more practical than square ones. My supplier has coir, hemp, burlap plus half help - half corn plastic (or whatever it's called). I don't like anything plastic (even degradable) because it interferes too much with water flow. In pots, the coir is pretty inoffensive except that it encourages ants and the birds love to remove it. After a year it's pretty weak. The burlap is thicker and a better solution, but is very hard to wet if it dries completely, and will repel water. For rubber or plastic, voles absolutely love them, they get complete safety plus a built in food source: maple roots! -E
I bought a few at a nursery in the beginning of the year (more for weeds, not for cold). As Emery said, birds love them and took them apart completely. As for the cold, I personnally don't think this will help. Wrapping them in bubblewrap and protecting them from wind is already a great help for the trees.
