Concerned resident shares photo after spotting harmful landscaping trend: 'Yikes'

A concerning photo posted to Reddit by an exasperated Chicago resident has amassed hundreds of upvotes from arborists who are appalled by the planting techniques of the city.

"Chicago said they were going to plant 75,000 new trees," wrote the user to the subreddit r/arborists. "Apparently, they meant like this."

The photo depicts a newly planted tree within a park. However, instead of proper planting techniques, a giant mulch volcano sits at the base — sparking dissatisfaction with tree planting experts. 

Mulch volcanoes are an unwise method of supporting trees. Misguided gardeners believe that piling mulch at the base of a tree will benefit weed control and moisture retention. Instead, it encourages root rot, pest infestation, and girdling — all of which can be deadly to trees.

Despite the dangers of mulch volcanoes, homeowners still believe that piling up mulch is good for trees. While mulch is a fantastic option to provide nutrients to the soil, if it is applied incorrectly, problems can arise. 

A mulch volcano also drains the money-saving benefits that mulching your garden brings. Instead of a natural, cost-effective weed-reduction and fertilizer, mulch volcanoes can do the opposite — killing off your trees and leaving homeowners to go back to the store. 

The Morton Arboretum described how to properly apply mulch under trees. The depth should be no more than three to four inches, and one should pull mulch away from the base of the tree to create a "doughnut-hole" shape. 

It stated, "Ideally, the mulched area around a tree should extend to the drip line of the branches, or at least cover a four to five-foot diameter around the trunk."

The wider — not higher — the mulch area, the better, according to the Morton Arboretum. It also reinforces that one should check the depth annually and replenish when necessary.

Redditors were quick to mention how distressing trees planted in this fashion are.

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"This one is bad — maybe done by a newer, poorly trained team — or not finished yet?" they commented.

Another wrote, "Might actually end up being the right height if they remove all the dirt covering the flare. Yikes."

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