On 5/19/2015 10:10 AM, David E. Ross wrote:

I try to maintain several inches of leaf mulch where there is no ground
cover. Although I place twigs and small branches on top, the wind often
reduces the thickness of the mulch. My valley white oak cannot survive
without a thick mulch of leaves; I applied the mulch and then anchored
chicken wire on top. This will require quite some effort to renew the
mulch as it becomes compost.


I've used bird netting to anchor mulch for that very reason: when it's
time to remove it to add more mulch, it's just a matter of lifting off
the anchoring rocks and bricks, after which the netting handles
easily. Plus, the black color is very inconspicuous.

Even in the land of 10,000+ lakes, many cities routinely have watering
restrictions, mainly due to our over-preoccupation with having thick,
green, weed-free lawns.