With so much unpredictable weather, it can be beneficial to use organic mulch to help preserve a tree's water content and protect it from damage. However, both professional and amateur gardeners have been known to add too much mulch — aka a "mulch volcano" — creating the opposite effect of what was intended and harming the tree's immune system.
Professional landscaper William Beerman, the face behind the TikTok account @beermantheplantman, noticed a few extreme examples of mulch volcanoes while out on a drive and shared his opinion in a video.
@beermantheplantman Mulch volcanoes are a major pet peeve of mine, but adding on a dead tree might be worse! We need to be proposing mulch mound reductions and removal to any client who has this situation on their property and not kist continuing to make it worse! #mulch #mulching #mulchvolcano #fyp #landscaping #landscaper #horticulture ♬ original sound - William Beerman
"You know what type of tree this is? A dead one. We [have] to do better. As an industry, we're just out here piling mulch on stuff. It's not supposed to look like that," Beerman said in his post.
One TikToker commented, "People just pile up mulch year after year without properly cleaning out their beds or edging them." The creator replied, "I agree, it's unfortunate."
When mulch is laid properly, it can protect soil from erosion, shield the tree from harsh temperatures, and suppress weeds. Ideally, mulch should be spread around the tree to a depth of two to four inches, placed at the outer edge of the tree's canopy, and kept at least six inches away from the base of the tree.
If there is too much mulch, it can slowly kill the tree by dehydrating its cells and causing the roots to elongate and girdle the tree, which strangles it. As the cells become more damaged, it also prevents food intake and gas exchange, causing its immune system to fail and leaving the tree susceptible to illnesses.
Mulch volcanoes are inherently wasteful in terms of natural and financial resources. If you would like to save money on your garden, save time on your efforts, and help struggling pollinator populations, transitioning to a natural lawn or rewilding your yard comes with all of those benefits. A natural lawn creates a healthier ecosystem for pollinators in your area, which ultimately protects our food supply and makes your neighborhood more beautiful.
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