Piling mulch around the trunk also invites mice and meadow voles to nibble at the bark in the winter. The critters love to burrow in the soft mulch. It can also invite rot at the base of the tree.

Good thing to post about! I was talking to a local extension agent a while back and he says this is his #1 pet peeve, when people overmulch.

It can also be a very costly exercise. If you're buying the mulch and you have a few trees it can quickly mount up. You will also lose a few trees mulching this way which will add extra costs to your garden.

Good advice about mulching around trees, although I would have reservations about putting newspaper down under a layer of only 1" of mulch. I did that in many of our garden areas a few years ago and every time the wind blew it lifted the newspaper, gradually dislodging it and I had to remove it altogether. I also find that newspaper dries out and it's very difficult to get water to penetrate. That's also my pet peeve about many types of mulch - whilst it may prevent moisture evaporation it also prevent moisture absorption. I find the coarser the material, the better.

Fair comment Alice. That's why I would pre-moisten the newspaper prior to placing it on the soil if it's wetted before laying mulch and manure on top it has a greater chance of breaking down quickly while still subduing the weeds.

Alice is quite right in that if the mulch does not stay moist the paper will dry out and can then be blown away. The same applies with the pea straw.

I too think coarser materials are good but they have their own limitations. Many people buy coarser materials for the colour only to find that once the mulch has been in their garden for 2-3 months the colour changes and can look quite drab. They also take a long time to break down and add anything of use to the soil.

The mulch I have suggested is a feeding mulch which will need to be renewed on a regular basis - at least every 6 - 12 months.