"Tom J" wrote in message
k.net...
What has the area mulched got to do with the size of the tree or the drip
line of a tree. The only need I know for mulch around a tree is to keep
the grass back from the trunk so you are not harming the tree trunk with
the mower. What am I missing??

Well, there's also the root system. I have a couple of locusts, and the
aboveground roots have extended beyond the original mulch ring.