Springbridge are excited to invite you plant a tree with us as we give away a free birch tree sapling with every order! In association with the world’s leading scientific tree and shrub care company, Bartlett Tree Experts, we are giving away around 100 saplings as part of a drive to encourage people to plant more trees in 2022.
You can plant the sapling in a pot on your doorstep, by a hedge in your garden or even organise a community event at a local park or school. Make sure to read up on the winter mulching advice below to give your sapling the best chance of growing strong and healthy!
Beautiful and Healthy Trees from Bartlett Tree Experts
The saplings provided for us by Bartlett Tree Experts are all of excellent quality thanks to their experience which stretches back to their founding in 1907. Today they have over 100 offices worldwide, with their Beaconsfield branch managed by Adam Steggles who is a member of the Arboricultural Association and the London Tree Officers Association.
Receiving one of these saplings from Bartlett Tree Experts will also put you in good company as they serve quite a few distinguished clients such as the Royal Household and the Royal Botanical Gardens. Other esteemed clients of Bartlett Tree Experts include Kew, the London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames and the Forestry Commission.
Winter Planting Season
The winter planting season is upon us so it’s the perfect time to get outdoors and get planting. Especially as so many of the holiday festivities have taken place indoors, it’s time to get outside and enjoy the crisp, wintery air.
Planting trees and hedgerows are some of the most useful things we can do in the fight against climate change, as every tree planted will help us grow a greener future together.
Springbridge and Bartlett Tree Experts are delighted to come together to help you to make a difference by planting a tree with us in 2022.
Mulch for Birch Tree Saplings
Winter mulching serves a different purpose to mulching during other seasons but is just as important. Usually, we mulch to suppress weed growth and help the soil retain moisture, as well as to slowly feed more nutrients into the topsoil. But winter mulching has a different reason, and it can be a very useful task to perform for any tree sapling as well as other plants and flowers around the garden.
Why Mulch in the Winter
Winter mulching has the purpose of keeping the ground frozen by blocking out the occasional warmth of the sun. Repeatedly freezing and thawing causes heaving, which is when the topsoil expands and contracts. This constant expansion and contraction loosens the soil around a plant’s roots, and eventually pushes the plant’s crown and roots up and out of the topsoil. This exposes them to freezing temperatures and winds which can damage or even kill the plant.
By placing a layer of mulch over the topsoil during winter, the soil will maintain a steady temperature to keep plants in dormancy until the spring time brings extended warm spells and it is time to remove the winter mulch.
Best Materials for Winter Mulching
Remember that you will need to remove or rake aside the winter mulch once spring brings the warm weather, so you want a loose material that will insulate the topsoil underneath.
Ornamental bark mulch is one excellent option as it is a good-looking natural bark that not only protects the soil but enhances the overall appearance of your garden. Our ornamental bark mulch comes from forestry woodchip and is ideal for winter mulching purposes.
Another option is woodland bark mulch which is a blend of soft and hardwood chips specially made for landscaping applications requiring wide coverage. It is an all-British product so there are no chemical contaminants and it has been composted for eight weeks to remove any traces of green. Our woodland bark mulch is a great value product perhaps best suited to larger garden mulching projects to keep the cost down.
When to Apply Winter Mulch
The best time to apply winter mulch is after the first hard frost. The soil will have hardened from the freeze and so laying the mulch at this time will prevent the soil from thawing and expanding.
Other options include preparing your winter mulch ahead of time towards the end of autumn. If you have planted something you want to bloom in spring, then a mulch covering will prevent any growth spurts from sunny periods during winter.
When to Remove Winter Mulch
The time to remove or rake aside the winter mulch is when there is no longer any chance of there being a sudden frost. This will likely be in early spring, though keep an eye on weather forecasts to make sure.
If you require any ornamental garden mulch or woodland bark mulch for winter mulching, then contact Springbridge via our website or call today on 0845 370 1921 for more information.