Landscaper calls out Lowe's after spotting terrible mistake in parking lot: 'It's so frustrating'

A recent TikTok video shows a mulch disaster at a Lowe's parking lot. In the video, TikTok user @828trees highlighted improperly mulched trees with a text overlay that read, "Dear Lowe's, fire your landscaper!"

Viewers quickly weighed in, pointing to mistakes that even professional landscaping crews sometimes make. As one commenter put it: "It's so frustrating".

828trees explained that after digging down nearly five inches at the base of several trees in the lot, they discovered root flares buried under mounds of mulch, which caused canopy dieback. Over-mulching tends to weaken trees and can also waste money and time for property managers and homeowners alike — a concern that has been found in other gardening discussions around mismanaged plant care.

@828trees A few hours of work and I could probably save Lowe's quite a bit of money. Every tree in the parking lot had severe canopy die back. Dug down nearly 5 inches to find the start of the root flare. ##arborist##ADHDArborist#T#TreesS#SaveTheTreesL#LandscaperL#LandscapingB#BadLandscaping ♬ original sound - RailLife

In the video, viewers can see the mulch volcanoes surrounding each tree. 828trees noted that they could "probably save Lowe's quite a bit of money" because "every tree in the parking lot had severe canopy dieback."

Piling mulch too high traps moisture against the bark, suffocates roots, and can eventually kill the tree. Proper mulching should leave the root flare exposed and avoid excessive layering, according to the Arbor Day Foundation.

This isn't the first time that shoppers have had concerns about plant care at Lowe's. Previous reports highlighted neglected garden center plants, as well as issues with invasive or poorly managed plants elsewhere.

Most of the video's commenters were dismayed to see the mulch volcanoes at this Lowe's.

"All trees in Lowe's parking lots in Oklahoma are dead…makes me angry to see that each time I go there," said one.

Another shared, "Most people don't understand what's going on in the video, the tree is buried too deep and will cause basal rot and other complications to the overall health of the tree."

Still another claimed, "[I've] been doing that around hundred[s] of trees a year for 2 decades. Have never had an issue."

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This last comment prompted 828trees to post a follow-up video, explaining why over-mulching still poses serious risks.

Overall, the clip sparked an important discussion about proper landscape and tree health in commercial spaces. It showed how even what appears to be a small mistake in mulching can have wider-reaching consequences.

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