Sometimes DIY can go too far. One Reddit user shared an unwise DIY attempt to prevent a tree from falling: using spray foam.
The poster shared a photo of their neighbor's yard and the ill-advised tactic for keeping a tree upright with the r/mildlyinteresting community on Reddit, where it stirred up plenty of discussion, garnering nearly 500 comments.
The picture shows a tree bent at a dramatic angle. There is a large cavity that appears to have been filled with expanding foam insulation or sealant. This is like filling the trunk of the tree with glue in an attempt to keep it from falling, but if the tree had any life in it before this intrusion, the foam will probably suffocate it.
A large hollow section does not necessarily mean disaster for your tree. Tree Care Industry Magazine wrote: "A tree can be nearly totally hollow and be nearly totally healthy at the same time." It went on to explain that this is due to differences in types of wood and how trees get nutrients. The wood at the center of a tree is known as heartwood, and it is less essential for moving sap and nutrients to leaves and roots.
Making sure you properly care for trees and avoid mishaps like volcano mulching, overtrimming, and other issues will do the tree, you, and the larger ecosystem a world of good. Living near trees has been proven to benefit human health. Trees also provide food and homes for wildlife and help keep the planet cool by trapping carbon dioxide.
While it's impossible to know for sure without a report on the health of the neighbor's tree, it's possible that the tree could have been saved with some support from a qualified arborist. Whether the tree could have been saved or not, folks on Reddit had plenty to say about the method used to fortify it.
"That's not gonna end well," one user wrote.
One seemingly qualified person gave their opinion, saying: "I am a certified arborist. All this is doing is trapping moisture and encouraging fungus. There is absolutely zero good side of it."
Another Redditor shared their experience healing a tree with a similar hollow: "The tree was otherwise healthy… It took 7-8 years, but eventually the tree fully healed. The split completely grew back together, and other than the bark in that spot having a different color and texture, you'd have never even known."
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