If you've ever dumped a big pile of mulch around a tree and called it a day, this one's for you.
Landscaper Warren Lewis (@warrenlewis_landscaping) recently shared a quick video on Instagram calling out a common yard care mistake: piling mulch high around a tree trunk, also known as a "mulch volcano."
In the clip, he points to a mound of mulch packed tightly against a tree and explains how "the tree can tolerate only so much of this degradation."
The mulch volcano might look clean and tidy, but it's actually not good for the tree: It just traps moisture against the tree's bark, which can cause the trunk to rot, attract pests, and make roots grow in circles instead of spreading out. Eventually, the tree may weaken or even die.
If we go beyond tree health, there's a bigger takeaway here: using too much mulch wastes money and time. You're paying more for materials and might end up replacing those trees that didn't survive the stress.
The good news? This is pretty easy to fix. Instead of piling mulch up like a mountain, spread it out in a circle a few inches deep and keep it away from the trunk so the tree can breathe.
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This clip is part of a larger shift in how people think about their yards. More and more homeowners are replacing parts of their lawns with native plants, clover, buffalo grass, or even trying xeriscaping. These swaps are not only better for your wallet and your weekend schedule, but they're also great for pollinators, which is a huge deal as well.
Toward the end of the video, another issue becomes obvious: The mulch is packed down tight.
One commenter pointed it out by writing, "Thank you for the video. Mulch also looks very compacted." Overly compacted mulch can prevent water and air from reaching the roots, which makes the problem even worse.
Moral of the story? More (and overly compacted) mulch isn't always better, especially if it's hurting your trees.
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