You don't expect volunteers to run to an orchard and spend 45 minutes on weeding and mulching on an evening during the working week.... and then run off again. But that is just what eleven members of Bromley GoodGym did when they visited Mayow Park orchard for an evening session.
They showed such amazing team work and the trees enjoyed the attention.
In no time some members were removing tree guards and pulling up weeds, while others went off to fill two wheel barrows full of wood chips to mulch round the base of trees.
In 45 minutes they took care of SIX trees. That's fast work.
Why bother to mulch round the fruit trees with wood chips? Here are some good reasons:
- The wood chips encourage mycorrhizal fungi to grow- beneficial fungi that live in the wood chips and work with the tree roots. They take sugars from the tree and give nutrients back from the soil . . . how cool is that?
- Wood chip mulch holds moisture in the soil round tree roots so there is less need to water, particularly good in summer
- The wood chips slow down water into the soil particularly after heavy rains, so the tree roots are not sitting in wet
- They protect plant roots from extreme cold in winter
- They protect plant roots from too much heat in summer
- As they rot down they help improve the soil
All photos are from BromleyGoodGym. Thank you for your help.
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