Maintaining a healthy yard can be great for your both mental health and your local ecosystem. However, some ways of going about it can actually be detrimental to both.
A recent post to the r/Arborist subreddit revealed the pitfalls that can come with using certain products to suppress weed growth — even when those products are dangerous herbicides. The Redditor shared an image of a maple tree on their new property that was surrounded by landscaping fabric.
The title read: "Just bought this house and the previous owners left landscaping fabric on some trees. We removed it but is the maple screwed?"
They added: "We want to take good care of our trees — is there anything we can do to help this one?"
Landscaping fabric is used to suppress weed growth, but it can also prevent water and oxygen from reaching the plant life it surrounds. The original poster is rightfully worried that their maple tree has been suffocated and dehydrated for too long.
Responses to the post are mixed but ultimately show hope for the tree, provided the OP takes proper care of it going forward.
You can see here how landscaping fabric is not the best choice if you're looking to create a beautiful, healthy yard. Not only is it bad for the soil and surrounding plants and nonbiodegradable, but the post shows that it doesn't even work very well.
If you really want a healthy property, you should consider rewilding your yard or upgrading to a natural lawn.
Rewilding is essentially allowing nature to reclaim your lawn by adding things like native plants and water features as well as reducing or stopping mowing and lawn chemicals. Rewilded lawns can reduce your bills, create a healthy ecosystem for pollinators, and beautify your property.
🗣️ What's the worst thing about taking care of your yard?
🔘 The time it takes ⏰
🔘 How noisy it is 🙉
🔘 It's too expensive 💸
🔘 I don't have a yard 🤷🏾♀️
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
Switching to a natural lawn is a similar approach, but it's a bit less hands-off. While rewilded lawns involve the replacement of grass with things like native plants, clover, and buffalo grass, natural lawns typically involve a single type of natural grass. Both options reduce water consumption, save money, and provide a better ecosystem for pollinators and other life.
Commenters on the post offered some useful advice.
"You could hire a consulting arborist to come and take a look," one suggested. "Easiest thing you can do right now is put wood chips down on the bare dirt."
"Leaves and wood chips are perfect," another agreed. "Cut before and after it touches the trunk with loppers. Don't pull on the root if it's fused to the tree. Just leave it to rot."
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