Gardener issues dire warning about common landscaping product: 'Don't use it around plants'

TikToker Speaking for the Trees (@speakingfortrees) shared an informative video about the damage mistletoe and landscape fabric can do to your trees. One is parasitic, and the other blocks the flow of nutrients for a plant to thrive.

While associated with the romantic part of the holidays, mistletoe can be problematic. It may be toxic to pets and trees since it's "an indication that a tree is not healthy," and "it's time to talk to an arborist."

@speakingfortrees #plantproblems #plantproblemssolved #atlanta #gardening #gardenproblems #bad #landscapefabric #arborist #landscapeissues #landscapeproblems #dontdothis #japanesemaple #mistletoe #kisses ♬ original sound - Speaking for the Trees

"I've never seen a mistletoe in a Japanese maple," she said in the video. Thanks to the carbohydrates it produced, the poor maple became dinner for the festive plant feeding on it.

One commenter facing a similar problem stated, "I had a tree guy stop by and want to cut down one of my huge water oaks because there's mistletoe at the top."

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She discovered another problem — landscape fabric. People have used this material to suppress weeds, but the problem is those invasive plants can often sprout through. The fabric impedes soil aeration, hydration to roots, and earthworm and other microorganism activity. In other words, it's more of a detriment to soil health than a benefit.

As the video showed, the tree's feeder roots climbed out over the fabric in search of water and nutrients. Speaking for the Trees advised anyone using this fabric to "don't use it around plants" and only away from them. Unlike organic mulch, options like wood chips or twigs, fabric doesn't provide nutrients and isn't biodegradable. In addition to mulch, some gardeners use a layer of cardboard to starve the weeds and feed carbon to the soil.

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Fabric removal can be difficult if the plant's roots become entangled. A better solution for fabric is to use it on top of the soil to smother existing invasive species that are hard to remove, like Japanese knotweed.

However, if one made such a mistake on their property, they can carefully remove the fabric (and any invasive plants like mistletoe) to start the process of upgrading to a natural lawn. Research plants native to your region based on the USDA's Plant Hardiness Zone Map and consider using groundcovers.

From clover to wild ginger, groundcovers naturally block out weeds while preventing erosion and adding beauty. You can also partially replace the area with certain weed-suppressing grasses like Bermuda grass, fescue, or orchardgrass.

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