Mulching Surface Tree Roots & Grafting An Apple Tree

Question:

 We have a three-foot square space around several of our established shade trees. The ground is exposed to the sun along with the surface tree roots. Is it a good idea to fill in these depressions with wood/bark chips, or will it harm the trees

Answer:

  • Yes, I would add wood/chips or any other type of organic mulch to these areas. I'd also consider mulching the existing landscape, especially those plants exposed to the afternoon sun.

  • Mulching has never been an automatic gardening activity for Bay Area gardeners. But, today, that is changing as mulch matters with the current drought and the upcoming stricter water restriction. Gardeners are allocating more and more of their gardening budget for mulch to preserve their mature trees and shrubs. The lesson learned with the drought in the 70s and 80s was not to abandon a mature landscape as the replacement cost was significant, not to mention the reduction in the property value.

  • I'd utilize the natural debris from Oaks, Redwoods, Pines, and other plants, along with any shredded newspaper or other household paper debris. To help with the overall cost of the mulch, I'd use this debris as the base with the commercial product then laid on top.

  • For many, this will require an attitude adjustment as you should discourage your gardening service from blowing the landscape and disposing of the mulch in the garden trimming recycling container. A two-three-inch layer of bark or some other type of mulch is recommended to conserve moisture. The mulch can present a problem over time.

  • The bark of any other organic material will break down or compost. The bigger particles become smaller, and the small particles become tiny, etcetera. This could lead to some type of root rot by burying the plants deeper than was intended.
    • To prevent this from occurring, I wouldn't mulch heavily under the canopy of a plant unless the hot afternoon sun is beating on the soil area. In fall, remove all the mulch from the trunk area, and in the spring, freshen up the existing mulch to keep light and airy. The old mulch is reusable elsewhere in the garden.

Question:

Several years ago, I started a Red Delicious Apple from a seed. It has grown to be a full-size tree, but the apples are small, about the size of a larger marble but juicy and sweet. Can I increase the size of the apples by grafting? If so, how do I go about doing it?

Answer:

  • Grafting will not have any effect on the size of the fruits. Fruit trees are unpredictable when started from seeds. Many seedling trees produce no fruit or some variation of the parent that what you have. They're never an exact clone of the original tree. What you get is what you see. Commercial fruit trees are always budded or grafted, so the variety is consistent from tree to tree. You certainly can graft or bud another variety or varieties onto this tree.
  • Here are a come of website with more information on 'How To’ graft apples