Reusing Mulch for Winter Storage?

[hemmy]

Does anyone reuse mulch for winter beds or boxes from year to year? @Japonicus was the only post that I saw. How has it worked disease and pest
-wise?

If so how do you store it to minimize decomposition, insects, fungus, etc.?

What other winter mulch substitutes are used? I don’t trust our oak leaves as they usually have some fungal spots by Fall and oak lace bugs during the summer. I also don’t trust the free or discounted wood mulch from the city to be free of disease as we have lots of dying Ash trees.

For the last 2yrs I’ve used cedar chips ($5/bag) and cedar mulch ($4/bag). It gets pricey when I usually use 10 bags each. I had yard areas that needed mulch the first 2 years, but I could pile some up this year.

Thank you!

 

[Dav4]

I use bagged cedar mulch from HD and usually spread the mulch around the landscape planting each spring, but I have saved some extra that I'll store in big plastic totes with no observable downside... I do try to dry it out before storing it. Mind you, I overwinter my trees outside on a concrete patio and not in a cold frame

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Cedar Mulch for me. I usually rake it out from my storage beds where the trees are into the path around my bench. Some gets reused annually but I top it off each year. IMO $50 isnt a big deal for me.

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

I winter most of my trees in part of the landscaping so they're sitting on mulch, then covered in more. It's inevitable that some may be mixed with last years. I've not had a fungus problem and the bugs aren't an issue until Spring in MI. I have found tree frogs and worms on the bottom when taking them out in spring. Cedar mulch for the win.

 

[Japonicus]

So I use cedar chips too.
This coincides with another thread of mine where I Winter my trees in the "cave" under iur sunroom. It is dry there so no fungus and little break down.
I spread mole/vole granules before and spray for fungus and mites before or after placing in final resting place till March, holding the maples and the crabapple back till last anticipated hard freeze. Will try to link that thread here tomorrow.

 

[Japonicus]

It won't be long now.

Let's see what December brings.

 

[NMbonsai]

I take the plastic shelf units that the trees have been sitting on all summer, flip them on their sides, and wrap them with bubble wrap. The open fronts are now facing up to become the open tops. Because they are sitting on a concrete patio and not bare soil, I place a sheet of 3/4" Styrofoam on the concrete and under the shelf units. I place the trees on the Styrofoam and fill the spaces between the pots with pine needles collected from under the 30 foot Afghan pine in my front yard. Free insulation and more than I can use. I also put about 3 to 4 inches of needles on top of the pots as well, covering the soil but leaving the trunks and branches uncovered and sticking up out of the needles. I am in Zone 7b, so we only get a few nights a year that get below 15 to 10°F. When a cold front rolls in with high winds, I do add a temporary covering of pieces plywood, plastic bins or trays and moving blankets; held down with rocks or bricks. I usually only have to do this a few times per winter. I reuse the pine needles from the previous year and have never had a problem with insects, mice or fungus. I also reuse the the bubble wrap until it becomes the worse for wear and tears.

 

[Brain Treez]

Seeing all the lengths everyone goes to for winterizing their trees makes me grateful to live where I do. The occasional tucking inside the garage during freak ice storms has sufficed. Granted, I don't have any deciduous trees!

 

[Cruiser]

Seeing all the lengths everyone goes to for winterizing their trees makes me grateful to live where I do. The occasional tucking inside the garage during freak ice storms has sufficed. Granted, I don't have any deciduous trees!

We’ve got it pretty good up here. But I still mulch over recently collected trees. The added insulation seems to promote better root recovery over winter.