A community member was left concerned about the future of a local tree after it was subjected to a counterproductive gardening trend.
In the r/arborists subreddit, they posted a picture of a shrub planted around a year ago that is piled high at the base with mulch and wood chips.Â
"It annoys me every time I walk by," they captioned the image, which was amusingly listed as "NSFW" on Reddit, perhaps suggesting such a sight is inappropriate for arborists who are easily offended.Â
This ill-advised gardening faux pas is commonly known as a "mulch volcano" because of what the mound of dirt looks like when stacked up high against a tree trunk in a cone-like fashion.
While giving a tree a healthy amount of nutrient-packed mulch might seem like a good way to ensure growth and nourishment, doing so can have the opposite effect.
It prevents the roots from accessing much-needed oxygen and water, effectively choking them out. What's more, it's also likely the tree will be subject to girdling, which is when the roots — in the hunt for vital nutrients — start to travel upward through the dirt and then wrap around a tree trunk in a circular pattern, eventually strangling the trunk.
Additionally, as moisture is collected and retained in mulch pressed against the tree bark, it's likely the water will weaken the plant's protective armor, leaving it susceptible to disease, parasites, and fungi.
One Redditor had a suggestion to give the tree a fair shot at survival. "I'd start using a leaf blower at 8-10pm piece by piece," they said.
However, it seems the problem wasn't just superficial, as the original poster detailed.
"It gets worse," they said. "The mulch you see here is just a thin layer. Underneath it is solid dirt heavily mixed with clay."
Without intervention, this tree might not live long. While it might be beyond hope, it at least serves as a warning to any would-be arborists about the dangers of mulch volcanoes.
Since trees provide natural shading and cooling, suck in harmful airborne pollutants, and provide a boost for local biodiversity, seeing this tree in such a state is no doubt troubling for community members. However, growing native plants can help mitigate the loss of this young sapling, bringing many of the same benefits.
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