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Water Conservation Mulch
(Weed Barrier)
Weed competition for moisture and nutrients is one of the main causes of slow growth and death in new tree planting projects. Water
conservation mulch can improve growth rates and survival by reducing competition for water and nutrients from weeds and grasses.
The Lower
Elkhorn Natural Resources District's water conservation mulch program gives landowners two options that can make their tree
planting projects nearly maintenance free.
The first option is the Water Conservation Mulch (Weed Barrier). This is a six foot wide strip of woven plastic that allows air and water
to penetrate through to the soil but stops weeds from emerging through the plastic.
Landowners can contract with the NRD to have this material installed or you can purchase this material in either 300 foot or 500 foot bolts
and install it yourself.
The second option is the Weed Barrier Mats. These mats are 4 foot by 4 foot spares that are made of the same material as the mulch. The
mats are designed to be placed over a seedling to provide individual weed control for each tree.
These come with stakes and are installed by the landowner. Under normal conditions the mulch will last at least five years which means a
big savings in mechanical weed control or chemical spray control. By the time the water conservation mulch begins to break down your trees
should be off to a good start and ahead of its competition. For more information on water conservation mulch contact the Lower Elkhorn Natural
Resources District.
2007 Order Form here in PDF Format
(download free Adobe Acrobat Reader here)
The Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District's Conservation Tree
Program offers a variety of services to landowners interested in planting
windbreaks, woodlots, or improved wildlife habitat on their property. Read about these services here.
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