A landscaper posted a short clip on TikTok of a big problem that's all too prevalent in their industry.
The 10-second video posted by That Dood Lawn Care (@thatdoodlawncare) shows a landscaper driving past a yard with what they describe as "the Mt. Everest of mulch volcanoes."
@thatdoodlawncare Nah which one of you did this?! 😳 #lawntok #landscape #mulch #fyp ♬ Jet2 Advert - ✈️A7-BBH | MAN 🇬🇧
Hyperbole aside, the uploader makes an important point. This all-too-common practice causes significant harm to trees.
When mulch is piled up so high, water and nutrients are cut off from the tree, and the roots become constricted. This can lead to girdling, when the roots wrap around the tree and ultimately kill it.
When done correctly and with the right materials, mulching is highly beneficial to both plants and soil. Bark, grass clippings, leaves, and wood chips are the optimal organic choices, but rubber is one of the worst.
When applying mulch to trees, experts advise thinking of a donut. According to the University of New Hampshire, a simple method to follow is the so-called 3-3-3 rule. That's a three-inch layer of mulch in a three-foot donut around the tree. Be sure to leave a three-inch gap between the mulch and the root stem.
As the video noted, imposing an overly simple, short-term solution just creates more problems and expenses in the long run.
For gardeners keen to avoid issues and high costs, natural gardening methods, such as rewilding a yard with native plants, produce the best results with minimal effort and expenditure.
A natural lawn doesn't need nearly the same level of maintenance as a dull water-guzzling grass lawn. It's also a lot better for all those helpful pollinators buzzing around.
The clip garnered a couple of comments from concerned viewers.
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Mowing the grass 🌱 One commenter suggested a method behind the madness, "They're trying to root the tree."
However, as That Dood Lawn Care responded, "This won't help — this suffocates the roots and will weaken them by growing in mulch and not soil."
Another response said, "Poor little guy. Just wants some air."
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