Homeowner warned after sharing photos of 20-year landscaping mistake: 'Not sure ... what to do'

A common mulching mistake has led to the slow demise of a gorgeous red maple tree in a small suburban neighborhood.

In the r/arborists subreddit, a user shared several images of a red maple tree with its roots flaring above ground due to the long-term effects of volcano mulching.

"This beautiful red maple has been covered in a mulch volcano for 20 years or so," OP wrote in their post, where they were seeking advice on what to do next with this tree.

"Not sure how much of these smaller roots to remove and what to do about the big girdling root," OP added.

Volcano mulching is the act of piling up mulch in a small mound around a growing tree. While it is common, it is extremely harmful to a tree's long-term health. Piling up mulch vertically around a tree traps moisture against the trunk, which leads to rot, disease, and pest infestations.

This excess mulch also prevents oxygen from reaching the roots and can encourage shallow root growth, like what is seen in OP's post. Proper mulching should form a flat, donut-shaped ring around the base of the tree, keeping mulch several inches away from the trunk to allow it to breathe and grow strong.

The comment section under the Reddit post was baffled by how far gone this maple tree was. 

"That root going across is massive," one user noted.

Many offered useful advice to OP and others dealing with a similar situation. 

"Great job exposing the flare," one arborist wrote. "You may need to blast away a bit more soil with the hose on a jet setting now to see what you're looking at."

What's the hardest thing about taking care of your yard? Mowing the lawn 🏡 Controlling weeds 🌿 Keeping pests at bay 🐿️ I don't have a yard 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Fortunately, mistakes such as volcano mulching can be avoided by rethinking how we design and care for our yards. An increasingly popular solution is to replace traditional turfgrass lawns with native alternatives, which tend to be less maintenance because they work with local ecosystems rather than against them.

Additionally, native plants are adapted to local soil and climate conditions, meaning they require far less watering, fertilizer, and ongoing maintenance than conventional lawns. This all leads to lower water bills, reduced landscaping costs, and fewer hours spent treating the lawn.

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