Sadly due to the ease by which North American dogwoods fall prey to
anthracnose, it is generally recommended never to mulch beneath these
trees but to keep the area very, very clean of debris. So the details
about mulching your dogwood is just terrible advice.

A tourniquet around the neck will stop a nose bleed. Starving the soil is
extreme!

This guy calims rather than mulching over turf grass that the turf grass is
better for the tree than mulching correctly?
I don't think so:
When I say mulching I mean this:
http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT20...ion/mulch.html
Where do you suppose the tree is going to get let's say the element calcium
from? Calcium cames from decaying wood chips.
See troubles in the rhizosphere.
http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT2003/shigo/RHIZO.html

and A Touch of Chemistry
http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT2003/shigo/CHEM.html

Just for starters.

--
Sincerely,
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Consulting Arborist
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman
and www.treedictionary.com
Beware of so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology.
Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions keep reminding us
that we are not the boss.