Gardener regrets major landscaping error after noticing damage: '[This] ultimately kills the tree'

Trees provide many benefits to homeowners. They can shade dwellings (reducing utility bill costs), encourage local fauna to visit backyards, and even improve human health.

However, as one Reddit user discovered, planting and maintaining trees can be tricky. In the original post, the amateur arborist asked for guidance on a small maple tree that was improperly planted and seemed to have root issues. 

"Was planted too deep with mulch volcano so I exposed root flare as much as possible and did light mulching," the original poster explained above a series of photos of the process. "I'm looking to expand the radius of the dirt circle but how [do] I go about that without hurting the root system?"

Mulch volcanoes are potentially deadly to trees. Although mulch can be a positive addition to landscaping, trees need thoughtful mulch placement. 

As Alexa (@alexachristinarice) advised in a TikTok post, "If the mulch is piled high like that volcano shape, those roots will wrap themselves around the tree to really get into the heart of that mulch, which suffocates the tree, which completely prevents the tree from sucking up those nutrients, which ultimately kills the tree."

Planting native tree species is a great way to promote a healthy backyard ecosystem. Since the trees are used to the climate, soil, and weather, they require less maintenance than non-native species, potentially saving the homeowner money. 

Indigenous flora also encourages pollinators such as bees and butterflies to visit the area, promoting additional growth and cross-pollination. 

"Time between first and last pic is little over a year," the OP wrote of the progression in a comment on the post, which showed just how extensive the damage was. The radius around the fledgling tree was dark, with no grass or tree roots visible.

Commenters were ready with advice for the OP, encouraging a more in-depth approach to exposing the tree's "root flare." 

"You need to go deeper!" one said. 

If you have a lawn, what aspect of it do you value most? The way it looks 🤩 The way my family uses it 👪 It's enjoyable to mow 😎 It's cheap to maintain 💰 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Another user pointed out that the troubled maple tree in question may have already experienced the roots wrapping around the trunk, advising, "The key to finding the root flare is the word 'flare'; the trunk has no flare, so you haven't found the root flare."

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