We have a Linden tree that was planted right in the middle of an area that needs to be amended quite a bit. We need to know how closely and deeply we can dig around the tree. The picture is from August 2007, so it has another year of good growth on it (and no more stakes). Luckily, it seems to be dealing better with the crummy planting job of the builders than the shrubs.
Thanks for any help
Sandy
Best done by just an annual surface mulch of composted leaf-mould 5-10cm thick. No need to dig it in, the worms will do that for you without disturbing the roots.
Resin
Yep, I'm with Resin on this. Pull the weeds and examine the mulch currently in place. If it's treated in any way, rake it off. Replace it with a layer of compost, a layer of newspaper, and then some type of naturally decaying mulch. Hardwood chips would be my choice. If the current mulch is decaying normally and you like its looks, rake it back a little, add some compost, newspaper and rake it back in place. Attempts to incorporate are going to disturb both your tree and your shrubs.
Well, the shrubs look a lot worse now than they did then, and the two closest to the driveways are planted way too close (hanging over the asphalt and would have to be trimmed to the truck on those sides), so some of the shrubs are going bye-bye. The only thing I'm worrying about is the tree at this point. So, how close could I plant some bulbs or flowers to the tree trunk?
Thanks
Sandy
