A gardening coach on TikTok broke down why a mountain of mulch, aka a mulch volcano, at the base of your tree is both a bad look for your yard and harmful to its health.
You Can Do It Gardening (@youcandoitgardening) explains in their video that a mulch volcano is "a big bummer," while pointing out that it's best to carve out the mulch and soil to give it space.
@youcandoitgardening Why this is bad for your trees: mulch next to the trunk can create a damp environment that promotes disease and decay. It can attract rodents and insects that can damage the tree. It can also limit oxygen flow to the roots, causing root rot and weakening the tree. Try to put mulch several inches away from the trunk to prevent these problems. If your landscapers do this, please inform them that this is not a good idea and ask them to move the mulch away. Gardening should be for everyone so let's get out there and get our hands dirty. I'm in zone 6 in the Boston area but almost all of the principles I talk about are applicable to any garden.🌺 Link to my pruning guides, scheduling consultations and supporting this free content can be found in my bio. Location: client's house (video done by Masha) #trees #mulch #gardeningtips #gardening101 #gardening #gardeningforbeginners #gardentok ♬ original sound - You Can Do It Gardening
In the caption, the creator explained, "mulch next to the trunk can create a damp environment that promotes disease and decay. It can attract rodents and insects that can damage the tree. It can also limit oxygen flow to the roots, causing root rot and weakening the tree."
Mulch is of course a beneficial additive to your yard, but as the video explained, too much of it is damaging to your trees, not to mention expensive to purchase in large amounts. One alternative is to use compost, grass clippings, or other plants you have in your garden as mulch to cut down on costs.
Another cost-effective and beneficial way to treat your yard or garden is to begin using native plants or rewilding your yard. They require fewer resources like mulch, water, fertilizer, and pesticides, and less maintenance, like mowing and weeding.
Native plants also help out the environment around you by providing food and habitats to wildlife, particularly pollinators like birds, bees, bats, and more, according to the American Society of Landscape Architects. Pollinators are essential to the survival of thousands of plant species, including food crops.
People in the comments were on the gardening instructor's side and appreciative of her sharing her knowledge.
"These mulch volcanoes are detrimental AND look horrendous. Why do people do this?" one person wondered.
Another said, they keep trying to warn their HOA about this problem because "The landscapers mulch [two feet] around the trees! Roots will grow around the trunk and kill them."
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If you were to switch from a grass lawn to a more natural option, which of these factors would be your primary motivation?
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