Not Traditional Mulch: The Smart Alternative That Stops Weeds From Growing Under Trees

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Mulching is a lot of hard work, but there's a nifty alternative that makes keeping weeds away from your trees super easy and quick. If you're struggling with pesky weeds growing under and around your trees, mulch discs are a fantastic solution to choke them out. These mulch discs, also referred to as mats or rings, can be a natural way to prevent weeds. Many of these rings are made from biodegradable fibers, such as jute, coconut coir, paper, even agave fiber. However, some mulch discs are constructed of longer-lasting materials like rubber. When weeds or other plants grow directly under your tree, they steal some of the light, water, and soil nutrients that the tree needs to grow. Similarly to regular mulch, these discs are placed over the ground around your tree to smother weeds. The mat prevents the weeds from getting light and stops them from growing. Like other mulch, mats also helps the soil around the tree's roots retain moisture.

Mulch mats are typically circular with a slit down the middle allowing it to slip around the base of a tree trunk. They are also designed to let water flow easily through the disc. Though the convenience of mulch rings almost sounds too good to be true, science has backed them up as effective weed control. A 2010 study published by HortTechnology tested a few types of biodegradable discs — including coconut, jute, and agave — on potted giant Western arborvitae (Thuja plicata) trees. The study found that mulch discs could be a functional alternative to chemical weed control, showing similar results.

Though mulch rings provide similar benefits to traditional mulch, they're much easier to install and use. Rather than carrying and shoveling loads of heavy landscape mulch like wood chips or bark, you can easily grab a ring and modify it to fit around the base of a tree. This works great for younger trees — whether potted or in the ground — along with more established plants. To ensure that your mulch disc stays in place, insert pegs, pins, or garden stakes through the mat into the ground. Mulch rings come in various sizes to accommodate different trees. If you have trouble fitting your mat around a thicker tree trunk, cut the hole in the center of the disc to be larger until it wraps around the trunk nicely. You can also do this to create a donut, or mulch-free zone, a couple of inches around the trunk or root collar, so roots can breathe. All in all, it could take mere minutes to fully mulch and protect a tree with a mulch mat.

Since it should take about a year-and-a-half for most biodegradable mulch rings to decompose, they provide coverage around your trees for a fairly long time as they're establishing. If you're ready to say goodbye to traditional mulch, you'll need a ring for each plant you want to protect. Make sure the diameter is large enough to cover a portion of the ground around the tree. Though mulch rings are super helpful, they're sometimes more expensive than other weed control options. At Home Depot, a pack of three 24-inch diameter coconut fiber mulch ring mats is about $33. Depending on the size and material of the mulch rings, the cost may vary.