Nebraska Extension in Dodge County

Kathleen Cue, Nebraska Extension Horticulture Educator in Dodge County 

People in the business of trees have been strong advocates for proper mulching, steering people away from the ill-advised practice of mulch volcanos around trees.  Real inroads have been made, though the practice continues, evidenced by new tree plantings with the mulch overkill. When these practices are perpetrated, the assumption this is a good practice is validated and then repeated at residences and other landscapes.

Kathleen Cue, Nebraska Extension Horticulture Educator in Dodge County 

Urban dwellers either praise or curse the black walnut (Juglans nigra). Some find the tree troublesome because of the nuts they drop, the juglone (a natural herbicide) secreted into the soil to kill nearby plants, and the increased number of squirrels in the neighborhood. Supporters of black walnut like the tree because it is native, well adapted to the precipitation and temperature variations of Midwest weather, is stately, grows valuable wood and nuts, and provides food for wildlife.