A gardener seeking advice on Reddit got a stark warning about their landscaping decisions.
In the r/BackyardOrchard subreddit, the original poster shared a photo of their young tree with a large mound of mulch covering the roots.
They explained their setup, writing, "I have landscape fabric under the mulch so I don't have weeds taking over the base of the tree. Is covering the base of the trunk likely to cause issues?"
Redditors in the comments advised the OP to move the mulch away from the base of the tree and ditch the landscape fabric.
"Pull the mulch 6" away from the trunk while you are removing the fabric," one person wrote.
The mound of mulch around the OP's tree is often called a "mulch volcano" for its size and shape. Mulch is, of course, beneficial to lawns and gardens, but too much can cause root and bark damage by trapping excessive moisture, leading to rot and fungus.
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Gardening experts on TikTok strongly advise against the mulch volcano and encourage home gardeners to utilize a "donut" method, leaving a ring around the tree to allow roots to breathe.
Using excessive amounts of mulch is also expensive, not just in the cost of purchasing it, but also in the potential damage to plants if applied improperly.
Mulch can really benefit soil by adding nutrients, and it can be found for low or no cost in some areas, which is a great money saver.
Another way to save money on yard and garden care is to opt for a native plant garden, which requires fewer resources like water and less time and maintenance.
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$200 or more 💰 Treecologist Basil Camu recommends a blend of mulch and native shrubs and trees to mimic a natural understory that would benefit trees.
There are also other low-water and low-maintenance groundcover options that may be more accessible, such as clover and buffalo grass.
Redditors had other warnings for the overly mulched tree the OP planted.
"Mice will winter in the nice warm mulch and use your tree as food," one noted.
Others advised against the landscape fabric, which is ineffective and has been criticized for introducing unnecessary plastic into the soil.
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