Wondering what to do about problems in a communal garden? Ask the community, as one user did on Reddit's r/arborists.
Their post led to an informative conversation about a common, costly gardening mistake.
The original poster shared photos of a newly planted birch tree and asked whether it had been planted too deeply. They explained that after digging down four inches, they still couldn't find the root flare.
"To my eye, there are some issues," they wrote. Aside from the planting depth, mulch was piled against the trunk, and the soil felt heavy and compact, like clay.
Readers agreed that the tree needed to be replanted properly as soon as possible to avoid long-term damage.
Even if the tree looked healthy, it would likely grow poorly — or even die — years later.
Mulch should not be piled too high around a tree trunk — a popular but harmful technique known as a "mulch volcano."
While mulch can be beneficial, a dense pile can trap moisture and cause bark decay. Mulch volcanoes are also wasteful, potentially harming the tree while costing extra money.
Mulch works best as a thin layer spread widely, like a protective blanket, to control weeds without using chemicals or harming healthy plants and trees.
Gardening can restore biodiversity in communities, especially when homeowners choose natural lawns or rewild their yards to welcome native plants and animals.
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With small planting mistakes causing big consequences in shared green spaces, proper planting and maintenance are especially important as cities warm. As for the birch in question, other Redditors offered practical advice.
"If you have permission, dig them out and show that flare," one commenter suggested.
"You need to dig them up, then remove the excess soil around the base of the tree stem until you see the stem start to flare outwards," another suggested.
"More mulch never hurt, just keep about 3" across the ground and spread as far as you have mulch or are allowed," a third advised.
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