If a tree is planted in a turf area, a Tree Well should be installed and maintained.
A Tree Well, or Tree Ring, creates a turf-free zone around a tree which helps protect it from pathogens & physical damage and reduces competition with the grass.
Benefits of Tree Wells
- Provides protection of tree trunks from physical damage often created by lawn mowers and string trimmers. Damage to the bark in this area can severely harm, and even kill, trees by restricting the movement of nutrients and water within the trees.
- Reduces competition with turf. As a tree trunk increase in diameter over time, grass becomes too tight around the trunk; this also restricts movement of water and nutrients within the tree.
- Reduces the risk of introducing harmful pathogens, like those that contribute to Collar Rot.
- Improves tree health and reduces tree mortality, which reduces replacement costs.
Tree Well Installation
It is always best to install a Tree Well at the time of tree planting. But if a Tree Well needs to be installed around an established tree, follow these simple instructions.
- With a shovel or knife, cut a circle in the turf around the tree. 2 – 4-foot diameter circles are sufficient, but a Tree Well circle cannot be too large.
- Remove the grass from the circle you have created around the trunk. Only dig deep enough to remove the turf.
- Be gentle. Avoid damage to large roots.
- Once the grass has been removed, cover the bare dirt with mulch. Wood mulch is preferred. Landscape rocks can also be used, but wood mulch is best.
- Be careful to avoid piling mulch right against the tree trunk or creating mulch volcanoes which do more harm than good.
- Mulch should be spread to a depth of 2 – 4 inches.
- Do not install weed fabric in Tree Wells. Weed fabric also kills trees as they grow larger by girdling the trunks.
- Do not use rubber mulch rings. Rubber mulch also kills trees by girdling. And rubber mulch rings introduce toxic contaminants into the soil and can result in tree decline and mortality.
- Maintain Tree Wells a couple of times per year by hand-pulling weeds and grass or by spraying with a grass and weed killer product*. Do not allow these areas to be maintained with mowing or string trimming, as this would completely defeat the purpose of the Tree Well.
*Some, but not all, grass and weed killer products harm trees.
