There's a common landscaping practice that kills trees — and you likely don't even notice it because it often hides in plain sight.
Fortunately, tree maintenance expert Sean (@sunshine_composting) shared a video on TikTok explaining what the mistake is and how to avoid it.
"When you're mulching against the base of a tree, make sure not to bunch up or mound the mulch against this base," he explains. "I see this a lot with the mow-&-go landscapers who are in a rush, and will typically pile mulch all the way up the tree. This, although, seemingly innocent practice, will cause your tree to take up too much moisture, and eventually rot, killing it slowly."
@sunshine_composting I see this a lot with the mow-&-go landscapers who are in a rush, and will typically pile mulch all the way up the tree. This, although, seemingly innocent practice, will cause your tree to take up too much moisture, and eventually rot, killing it slowly. To prevent this costly issue push away the excess mulch from the base of the tree so that rot does not happen and so the tree can breathe freely.
♬ original sound - Seanshine
He says, "That's the last thing you want to have happen. It's a costly and unfortunate expense you'll have to do, when you could just fix it by removing any mound up of mulch from the base of the tree."
He demonstrates, clearing away a pile of mulch and exposing the root mound — letting the roots breathe.
The mulch piles are generally known as mulch volcanoes, and once you start paying attention, you'll realize they're surprisingly common for being so deadly to trees.
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"Say no to mulch volcanoes!!" one TikToker commented.
Instead, like Sean suggests, keeping your yard free of large mulch piles will allow for everything in it to thrive. And while conventional landscaping may promote mulch and monocultured grass lawns, choosing instead to rewild a yard is a much more effective and affordable way to help it thrive.
Native plants are already adapted to their environment, meaning they need far less maintenance and water than something like grass. A native yard also naturally keeps out weeds and supports pollinators, promoting a healthy ecosystem from the ground up. Add healthy trees to the mix — which serve as natural air filters, water filters, windbreaks, and soil stabilizers — and your yard will be an incredible resource to local flora and fauna.
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Mowing the lawn 🏡 
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