On a recent walk through a cemetery I frequent, I noticed several tree bases that were treated with a herbicide.
In the past, the previous cemetery manager told me he never used herbicides and would have his workers string trim around all the grave markers and trees.
So why the change?
First of all, I was impressed the past manager would have his staff string trim the entire cemetery once a month through the growing season. And the cemetery was always neat and clean.
I began to notice an occasional tree that would die.
On closer inspection, many of the trees showed signs of lawn mower and/or and string trimmer damage.
Most had damage from a string trimmer that was fresh.
Some damage had healed over.
Any time the trunk of a tree is damaged, it can open the vascular cambium to disease and/or insect infestation.
If the entire cambium is girdled, the tree can die.
The use of herbicide like glyphosate can keep vegetation away from the base of the tree.
After the vegetation is killed, the tree can be mulched,
keeping the organic matter from contacting the trunk.
Volcano mulching is a no no.
So even though mechanical weed control like string trimming seems to be a more ‘natural’ approach to weed and grass control,
herbicides may actually reduce the amount of mechanical damage to trees and shrubs.
As in most things in life, it’s about balance.
