Hi all,

My neighbor recently put in 8 6 ft Arbs that will grow to 12-15 ft. It's a nice added border for me as well, and I was curious.....

Would it be beneficial to spread out the mulched leaves I'll collect around these new arbs?

I want them to grow nice and tall, but don't want to harm them.

Thanks

jglongisland wrote:

CTShoreGuy wrote:Hi all,

My neighbor recently put in 8 6 ft Arbs that will grow to 12-15 ft. It's a nice added border for me as well, and I was curious.....

Would it be beneficial to spread out the mulched leaves I'll collect around these new arbs?

I want them to grow nice and tall, but don't want to harm them.

Thanks

They'll grow either way. Be careful that the leaves don't settle on the trunk/stem so they don't rot. They'll grow quite fast and are pretty hardy. I think Deer like them, not sure if that is an issue where you are.

Thanks, no issues with deer thankfully. Just thought, heck I'm tossing the leaves out anyway. Maybe I'll create a circle/moat around each one

I've had moats around mine since day one, although that's a combination of hardwood mulch and compost (but some of that is leaf compost...) Like JG said, keep it away from the central trunk and you'll do fine. It'll help protect them from ground freeze during winter, which is a cause of browning as the branches run out of water and can't get it from frozen ground.