Even for homeowners trying to do the right thing, so-called mulch volcanoes can become a frustrating fact of life.
A Redditor revealed their recent struggles with the pesky landscaping problem and asked the community for some advice.
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Posting to the r/Arborists subreddit, the user shared photos of two trees plagued by mulch volcanoes as well as their attempts to remove them.
"I've recently noticed that for the past few years, I've chronically turned my tree beds into mulch volcanoes," they confided. While they thought their removal job was "alright" and achieving the goal of showing the "beginning of the root flare," they were concerned they still had a mulch volcano.
They asked a couple of questions as a result:
"(1) Since the roots are more or less exposed at the top of the grass line, does that mean that the tree was planted too high?
(2) Should I be looking to remove more mulch, or leave it as is, given that the root flares are starting to be exposed?"
The Redditor's struggle with mulch volcanoes is not a rare one, as it is a very common mistake that's unfortunately also more than just a waste of money.
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It can spell doom for a tree's health, as tree expert Gregory Jordan explained on a University of New Hampshire website by pointing out that it "buries the root flare or, in young trees, prevents a proper flare from ever developing." That can negatively affect stability and root development, while the mulch also can foster disease and decay by keeping the tree bark wet.
Another possibility is for the tree to asphyxiate itself by going for the mulch's nutrients, as urban forestry TikToker Alexa Rice (@alexachristinarice) shared in a video.
Unfortunately, many homeowners haven't gotten the message about mulch volcanoes.
Redditors had some advice and thoughts on the original poster's predicament.
To their first question, one user wrote: "You are correct in your observation that these trees are planted high, so you're never going to get rid of the mound around the tree."
On the second question, the consensus from multiple users was to remove more mulch.
"Try to remove as much as possible for good gas exchange in the top layer, also exposing the main roots," a commenter offered.One last idea was for the safety of the trees.
"I would consider making your mulched area wider to try to protect any exposed roots from mower blades," a user suggested.
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