Urban landscaping serves an important role in mitigating rising temperatures and boosting biodiversity. However, arborists are quick to notice when efforts to sustain local trees can do more harm than good.
In a Reddit post titled "I hate urban landscaping," one user showed a picture of a young tree that had been cared for in entirely the wrong way.
The base of the tree was piled high with mulch, forming a cone-like structure that many experienced gardeners have come to refer to as a "mulch volcano."
While this might seem like a smart, long-term way to provide the tree with helpful nutrients to aid its growth, this landscaping method is perhaps more likely to lead to its demise.
By piling dirt high, roots will be deprived of the water and oxygen essential for a tree's survival. In the hunt for these necessities, the roots may chart a course up through the dirt to the surface and then wrap around the trunk in a circular pattern, suffocating the tree.
The mulch will also retain moisture, and if pressed up against bark, it's likely the water will weaken the tree's protective armor, making it more vulnerable to disease, parasites, and fungi.
Exposing the tree's root flare is key to healthy growth, while a ring of mulch around the tree in the shape of a donut is a much more effective way to deliver nutrients without choking the plant to death. Domestic gardeners will be happy to know this tip saves money on mulch, as you don't need nearly as much as you would use for a mulch volcano.
Of course, gardeners can also save money on mulch by making their own. Composting fallen leaves, organic kitchen scraps, or garden waste can eventually provide nutrient-rich soil without the need to buy bags of mulch from your local gardening store.
Healthy tree, plant, and grass growth in urban areas reduces the heat island effect. Towns and cities filled with concrete buildings and asphalt roads absorb heat and release it back into the local area, causing temperatures to creep up and make life uncomfortable for residents.
However, an abundance of tree and plant life can reflect a higher percentage of this heat while absorbing and trapping some of the rest of it without radiating much of it toward anyone walking nearby, thereby naturally keeping urban spaces cooler. This is particularly true for trees, which can intercept much of the sun's rays up high in their branches and provide shade underneath, while also cooling the air slightly through a process called evapotranspiration (see this EPA PDF for more).
But this natural assistance can be undone by human actions, and applying a mulch volcano to a tree base is one way to diminish the impact of our heat-reducing helpers.
Redditors were equally baffled by the landscaping decision, with one even considering the vigilante action that could be taken to give the tree a chance.
"Is it legal for someone to come through with a rake and move the mulch from the trunk?" they asked.
One user replied that since it wouldn't be destroying or damaging anything, it should be OK to do so. However, there's always a risk of being booked for trespassing, so other options should be considered.
Speaking to your local council or the authority in charge of town or city landscaping could help to ward off this problematic practice.
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