So that's why all the trees in the parking lot at my work keep falling over dead. It's in a walmart shopping center so there are a lot of trees throughout. They volcano mulch twice a year easily a foot up the trunk of every tree. It's noticeable when it happens. I've been there for 5 years and seen about 7 trees topple over and get replaced with new victims.
Walmart is really prone to trying to brute force bad policies... They have a lot of negotiation power, so everyone they work for basically does whatever they say... So corpo ("""home office""") can say he wants 12" of mulch, spare no expense! Happened a lot with everything else, makes sense they'd do it with trees.
to be fair, the property owner doesn't want those trees growing big and strong. they're there to look nice, not last several decades and destroy the parking lot
Some customers don't care bc they actually like that look . I know I'm not alone here bc I've encountered them on more than one occasion... Strangely, those are the same customers that will tell you ''you're the professional, do what you think is best'' when they've contacted you to prune and you ask '' is there anything you'd like to see or expect to be done to this tree ? ''
@@nathanarievlis3985.... Sounds like you're the one with literacy issues.... You say the customer wants whatever you think is best, but you choose to not do what's best
@@JACpotatoshe is saying they are the type of people that would tell you do what you think is best but then follow that by telling you exactly how they want it
@@Efhgi here's how the situation went 1. Customer: Do what's best 2 Contractor: doesn't do what's best Nowhere in the story does the person tell them to do a subpar job
Great channel dude. Arborist for 23 years and performed many root flare/ crown excavations. Constantly noticing parking lot trees being ruined from bad landscaping company practices. Primarily volcano mulching and/or wrong tree for the location
I have a cedar elm that is sick. No mulch volcanoes lol. Leaves all turned yellow then brown. I began treating the tree during the yellowing with antifungal and fertilizer. Now I have thick suckers that I was pruning but they are growing at the mid section while the top is all dead. Will the top come back or new lofe grow through those old dead branches?
I hate mulch volcanos. I also hate those canvas support straps that people leave on their new tree trunks. I worked at a bank and I was concerned for the trees that were planted there because the trees were getting bigger and the canvas straps were not. I told the bank manager but she just brushed me off (like everything else, that’s why I quit). But I carried a pocket knife with me and cut the all off and didn’t say anything to anyone.
Good job! I hate and worry about stuff like that too! Glad to see so many like minded people here. And seems like it's always like commercial landscaping that do the mulch volcano. I hate it so much!
Those are helpful to keep fresh planted trees stable, while they establish their roots, but after a season or two, they certainly become detrimental. Thanks for caring for trees!
A pet project of a relative's is to do that for all the "SIGNS POSTED" paper placards that get tied around trees telling about temporary street parking changes , like, On such-and-such date, between the times of X and Z, No Parking." And then no city employees return to remove them and because they're outdated and not *theirs*, everybody ignores them. The string is multi-ply and very strong, leading to girdling.
If you plant a young tree , using post(s) & ties , -- any young tree in the Fall, it shouldn't need any More Support, and should be removed - after the Winter is over , in the Spring of the second year following the planting. For example - Planting in this coming Fall 2023, Remove stake/ties Spring 2025.
This is a minor pet peeve of mine. The local Lowe’s has all their trees mulched like this. You’d think they knew better. I can’t believe how many “professional” landscapers do this.
Talk to them about it! I know it seems idealistic on my part but sometimes people genuinely want the trees to thrive. People generally seem receptive to plant/tree tips.
I once pointed out to the people watering the mums at Home Depot that they were watering it wrong, and that’s why they were all inevitably splitting down the middle
Why would anyone at a Lowes know better? They dont pay enough for actually trained/educated staff....you should probably expect the same knowledge base as a walmart clerk.
@@taylorhillard4868Fortunately our Lowe's has always hired 2 or 3 lawn and garden staff that were knowledgeable. One of which has since passed and had previously had his own nursery before Lowe's came to town. 😢
It depends on the tree as some trees adapt releasing new roots. If you want perfect trees treat them once or twice a year with Bandit systemic insecticide and a systemic fungicide. You can also add high magnesium combo to the drench
this is sooo helpful! i remember this person in my village before. She always used to flatten out the mulch around the trunk (while i kept piling them high). i was 5 so didnt know better 😅 but now i understand. thank you!
"see how the mulch goes up like a volcano? this is called a mulch volcano" incredible. absolutely immaculate. honorable mention: "you see the major roots flaring out? that's called a root flare"
To be fair, a lot of things are named like that. I thought I'd identify a big black spider I found in my house. I looked through pictures... and the answer? "Black House Spider."
@@elhazthorn918 there's also a person who saw a black bird with a yellow head, wondered what it's name is, looked it up, and it's "yellow headed blackbird"
These mounds of mulch also often hide that your tree was improperly planted. This happened at a house a relative just bought and an arborist came and went through how the trees weren't set in the group and that they will eventually die or fall over. What makes it worse is the trees will be able to grow to a height where removing them becomes very expensive, and cutting them down leaves you with a mound and a stump.
Thanks for this. We're trying to keep our 100 year old orange tree alive and happy if possible and every tip helps. I've been trying to make sure this happens but I might be able to explain WHY to my helpers better now.
@@brianfitch5469 it was doing it's thing because my ancestors, who are now gone or dead, were caring for it. My grandfather grew up a farmer and I did not, so I have to pick up the know how somewhere.
@@kateh2893 with citrus trees they just need a light pruning from time to time. Leave the root bases alone. Unless your adding some fertilizer. Orange trees have been around for eons like most trees. They take care of themselves. When a tree gets to the end of its life theres usually not much that can be done. If the tree is 100 years old its good just leave it be. Its nice though your worried about how to take care of it.
when I planted Trees I always did 6 to 8 inches away from the trunk with Mulch. Now most of the arborists around my area always said 3 inches away from trunk is good enough. So I always been doing more then that.
An inch from the base of the trunk is sufficient, but more will not hurt you. I doubt there is an ideal distance, just make sure mulch isn’t touching the base and you’ll be fine. I use an inch because I want to retain as much moisture around the roots as possible, but still have enough gap to prevent the trunk from rotting at the base.
In a parking lot planting bed I measured 2 mulch volcanoes at 14 and 16". I usually measure 6 to 10" but these were amazing. These guys should be ashamed of themselves.
Great to know! Excellent short video. Never knew the significance and relationship of the root flare to dirt/mulch level but will definitely remember this and spread it on!
A couple weeks ago I was visiting a client who had just finished a major re-landscape in both his front and back yard. Gorgeous rock patio and fire pit! Typical perennial planting, nothing special there, and lots of trees. I didn't ask how much he paid but it had to be at least 5 digits and I doubt the first digit was 1. But the first thing I saw when I pulled up was the mulch volcanoes and no root flares. It drives me absolutely bonkers when "professionals" do stuff like this! They are supposed to know better! I told him to call up the landscapers and demand that they return to dig up all the trees and plant them correctly. And to get other opinions from certified arborists if the landscapers gave him any trouble about it. I haven't heard yet if it's resolved or not.
Nice! You have inspired me to lay mulch around the tree at my mom's. I hate mowing around it as it kicks up so much dust lol. This seems like common sense to someone that gardens or landscapes a lot, but also something very easy to overlook.
Most professionals in the Midwest who use the mulch volcano method plant the root ball above ground level for the health of the tree. Though out west where I am most people don’t do this.
@@MyerShift7right? Trees don't grow above grade naturally, why plant em that way? 15 years with the Parks Dept, we always planted new trees as level as possible. How are they supposed to sink a healthy, stable root system?
People root drench and feed at the base, too. You have to deep mulch, feed, and medicate at the drip line, aka wherever rain falls hardest during a rain.
Really? So, would that be at the outer diameter encircling the longest branches, kinda'? I don't know where rain falls the hardest but logic suggests it's where branches and trunk are not in the way. Help by explaining further.
@@connectropy yep, right around the outer edge where there aren't branches in the way but also where the leaves direct the most water to, so it goes under the canopy a little. Look up air spade videos where they expose the roots of a tree.
Back in the 70s there was a lot of volcano mulching going on in my neighborhood and the trees kept dying like you said. We didn’t have enough $$ for mulch or gardening, just went to the woods, found a little baby tree and dug it out and planted in our yard. It was barely a foot or two but that baby grew tall which I didn’t think it would at all because we didn’t do the mounding around it like our neighbors did. Ironic.
I've come back here to say that after my brother and I separately saw this and wanted to show this to our mom ,this video swayed her and others from considering clearing the ground around some trees to doing it for sure. I'm not sure if maybe a century old lindens would die from that or a pile of rocks (which I realise is different from soil) but we cleared it anyway.
people sadly have very little if no concern for the well being and importance of nature these days but keep doing what you're doing. fight the good fight :)
Thanks for sharing this. My uncle always used to complain about this, but i don't know that he ever said WHY it was a problem and i don't think I ever asked. Missed my chance there, but now i understand
I learned you can’t bury a tree trunk when I was around 6 years old. So strange that professionals would do this. It seems like common knowledge to me. My mom even knew. I think she told me. It made sense to me then and still does. Trust me, if my mom knew something back in 1987, then everyone should know it no excuses.
yes, and another common mistake i used to make was not unwinding the root ball after taking it out of the pot. it will grow in a circle like it does in the pot and strangle itself.
I properly mulched my avocado tree here in central FL and this guy grew several feet in all directions this year. Proper technique and proper ingredients are so important 😊 thank you for these videos ❤
I see these so often where I live that I'm almost inclined to think that you're wrong... But then I realize that the lowest bidding contractor gets the job...
Glad I stumbled across this as I am learning on the fly as I take over caring for my mom's landscaping. Definitely reinforces some aesthetic choices I was making as actually being beneficial unbeknownst to me.
Ahhhh thank you! I learned this volunteering with the greening of detroit! So many nurseries plant trees wrong! I also suggest digging a small ring wall further around the outside of the mulch to cause water to drain into the center of the rootball. Volacanos also push water away from the tree which makes them doubley bad for the health of the treeA
As the other commenter said, there is no reason to remove old mulch, it should decay naturally. If you feel the inclination to remove mulch before putting more down (which is counterintuitive since one of the the main functions of mulch is to break down and become compost for the tree) then youre probably putting mulch down too thickly. You can turn mulch if its gotten sun bleached but you should never need to remove it.
City planted a tree on the terrace and left some basic info on my apartment door (as if it's my responsibility, but I took it). Nothing about this. I just checked--I ACCIDENTALLY MULCHED IT RIGHT! Seriously though, I love Jasper, my Kentucky Coffee Tree.
Basically if you’ve never seen a tree in the forest gather loads of dirt and dead wood chips about its base don’t assume a tree outside the forest is suffering from a lack of said dirt and wood chips.
EXCELLENT INFO! Thanx so much, for those of us who seriously mean well, but haven't known better......until this vid!!! 🌳🍂🍃🌳🍃🍂🌳 May the trees live on......!
So the mulch does the tree trunks what it does to your fence post. I replace more fence post because of people mulching up to their fences stacking it up really high around their fence post riding them out all the time.
@@johnbrattan9341 I have you steel and it's still rots out even if you use galvanized. The best way I found out to keep the post in better shape is you drill diagonal holes into the wood and pour oil into them. This will greatly extend the life of your post.
I never knew this but I did always hate seeing the tree buried up the trunk. I love the look of the root flare. It’s just so pretty and makes a tree look more like a tree.
Howard Garrett, The Dirt Doctor says the same thing. That's why I don't have mulch or anything else planted around my trees except grass. Trees are beautiful on their own! 👍
grass is not helpful around a tree though, they feed off of what the tree would be feeding off. plant clover if you want a living mulch. clover fixes nitrogen that would feed the tree.
My dad built a 2-foot wall around our big tree when I was a kid and made a flower bed right around the tree. He was told his tree would be dead within 2 years, but hear it is almost 20 years later and stronger than ever.
Another reason you need to be able to see the tops of the root structure is because if you can't, there's a high risk of stem-girdling roots (sgr) - i.e. roots that wrap around the trunk, and will ultimately kill the tree (just like ring-barking would). Sgr is a common problem in trees which have been planted too deep as well
😮 Whoa! That’s really interesting and helpful. Thank you! We just lost a couple dead birch trees in a storm and this very well could have been why we lost them in the first place.
Volcano mulching also causes a response of secondary roots to grow and girdle the stem which strangles the vascular system of the tree. This is a really great UA-cam short, keep them coming. More people should take interest in trees.
@@dylan15243 even if that were the case it’s never beneficial to mulch like that. The mulch really shouldn’t even be touching the stem or large roots because it can trap moisture against the wood which can lead to bacteria and fungus build up on the wood leading to disease and decay.
@ifwegrove1784 dude keeping an inch of mulch against a tree will not kill it. Trees in forests drops leaves... leaves pack... get moist... are in contact with the stems of trees... yet the trees survive.
@@dylan15243 I didn’t say it would kill it. I said it’s not beneficial. I’m not trying to argue or have a negative or combative tone either. The forests I walk through, all the buttress roots are exposed and no leaves pile up around the stems because fungus is constantly breaking down the old foliage. You don’t have to believe a licensed arborist of eleven years, look it up for yourself. And that first tree in the video was mulched more like 4-5 inches up the stem.
I've always hated the mountains of mulch used to cover tree trunks like this it's so ugly and I'm glad someone is addressing how bad it is for the tree
Proper mulch as seen in the vid is great for keeping grass and weeds away from the tree, using an edge trimmer/weedwacker near the trunk is bad for the tree's bark
Woah, thanks for this tip. So many critical things to learn in life. Also, never feed a baby water, never grow avocado trees from the pit, and don't feed kittens cow milk.
So that's why all the trees in the parking lot at my work keep falling over dead. It's in a walmart shopping center so there are a lot of trees throughout. They volcano mulch twice a year easily a foot up the trunk of every tree. It's noticeable when it happens. I've been there for 5 years and seen about 7 trees topple over and get replaced with new victims.
That's so crazy you'd think they would want to stop killing them so that they wouldn't have to buy more.
It's called making $$ replacing trees..
Walmart is really prone to trying to brute force bad policies... They have a lot of negotiation power, so everyone they work for basically does whatever they say... So corpo ("""home office""") can say he wants 12" of mulch, spare no expense!
Happened a lot with everything else, makes sense they'd do it with trees.
I like the usage of the word "victim"
to be fair, the property owner doesn't want those trees growing big and strong. they're there to look nice, not last several decades and destroy the parking lot
Some customers don't care bc they actually like that look . I know I'm not alone here bc I've encountered them on more than one occasion... Strangely, those are the same customers that will tell you ''you're the professional, do what you think is best'' when they've contacted you to prune and you ask '' is there anything you'd like to see or expect to be done to this tree ? ''
You need to educate your customers by doing the correct way.
@@wakranich3488 you need to work on your critical thinking and reading comprehension...
@@nathanarievlis3985.... Sounds like you're the one with literacy issues....
You say the customer wants whatever you think is best, but you choose to not do what's best
@@JACpotatoshe is saying they are the type of people that would tell you do what you think is best but then follow that by telling you exactly how they want it
@@Efhgi here's how the situation went
1. Customer: Do what's best
2 Contractor: doesn't do what's best
Nowhere in the story does the person tell them to do a subpar job
I've told this to people and they act like I'm crazy. Then I watch a their trees slowly die and have to be replaced.
Never understood people that are weirdly stubborn.
the top of the tree tells you too. loses its leaves.
Ditto
Keep sharing information about trees. They are so important for our environment.
Cope
@@Mike-we3rbwhat
Thank you, new subscriber
ROTFLMBO
@@WORDversesWORLD If you could explain that acronym I'd be grateful. Others, too.
Great channel dude. Arborist for 23 years and performed many root flare/ crown excavations. Constantly noticing parking lot trees being ruined from bad landscaping company practices. Primarily volcano mulching and/or wrong tree for the location
Thanks a lot man! I appreciate it. I'm with you - way too common to see poor landscaping practices and species choices unfortunately.
Yes it's always commercial landscaping that's done like that. I hate it!
😮👀 Seems Like a Great Way for
The Local Tree Nursery to
Sell More Trees‼️👍✨🤑😈🤫💩
I have a cedar elm that is sick. No mulch volcanoes lol. Leaves all turned yellow then brown. I began treating the tree during the yellowing with antifungal and fertilizer. Now I have thick suckers that I was pruning but they are growing at the mid section while the top is all dead. Will the top come back or new lofe grow through those old dead branches?
@@Andrew_the_Arboristi just posted a question about my cedar elm that I would love for either of you to happily chime in on!
I’m kinda excited to rescue some trees from mulch volcanoes now
free the wood bois from their mulch cacoons 🙏
@@sampsqwantch4612
Why TF would you mulch a tree anyway?
@@greggstrasser5791because trees are plants?
@@GodMaxDrinkerofTea
Non-sequitor.
@@greggstrasser5791 *non-sequitur
I hate mulch volcanos. I also hate those canvas support straps that people leave on their new tree trunks. I worked at a bank and I was concerned for the trees that were planted there because the trees were getting bigger and the canvas straps were not. I told the bank manager but she just brushed me off (like everything else, that’s why I quit). But I carried a pocket knife with me and cut the all off and didn’t say anything to anyone.
Good job! I hate and worry about stuff like that too! Glad to see so many like minded people here. And seems like it's always like commercial landscaping that do the mulch volcano. I hate it so much!
Those are helpful to keep fresh planted trees stable, while they establish their roots, but after a season or two, they certainly become detrimental. Thanks for caring for trees!
A pet project of a relative's is to do that for all the "SIGNS POSTED" paper placards that get tied around trees telling about temporary street parking changes , like, On such-and-such date, between the times of X and Z, No Parking." And then no city employees return to remove them and because they're outdated and not *theirs*, everybody ignores them. The string is multi-ply and very strong, leading to girdling.
If you plant a young tree , using post(s) & ties , -- any young tree in the Fall, it shouldn't need any More Support, and should be removed - after the Winter is over , in the Spring of the second year following the planting. For example -
Planting in this coming Fall 2023,
Remove stake/ties Spring 2025.
This is a minor pet peeve of mine. The local Lowe’s has all their trees mulched like this. You’d think they knew better. I can’t believe how many “professional” landscapers do this.
Talk to them about it! I know it seems idealistic on my part but sometimes people genuinely want the trees to thrive. People generally seem receptive to plant/tree tips.
I once pointed out to the people watering the mums at Home Depot that they were watering it wrong, and that’s why they were all inevitably splitting down the middle
@@xxx_putin_has_a_flaccid_pe5374 Go on, please explain.
Why would anyone at a Lowes know better? They dont pay enough for actually trained/educated staff....you should probably expect the same knowledge base as a walmart clerk.
@@taylorhillard4868Fortunately our Lowe's has always hired 2 or 3 lawn and garden staff that were knowledgeable. One of which has since passed and had previously had his own nursery before Lowe's came to town. 😢
Oh god. I will save my mom's baby birch with this knowledge.
Your mom had better cooperate 😊
It depends on the tree as some trees adapt releasing new roots. If you want perfect trees treat them once or twice a year with Bandit systemic insecticide and a systemic fungicide. You can also add high magnesium combo to the drench
That's what I said
I will save my family’s baby apple, peach, magnolia, maple, fir, and redbud trees.
remember to sacrifice a rabbit to the tree every 5 years
YES!
Down with mulch volcanoes, up with sexy root flares 😊
Them sexy tree curves 🫣
When they show too much root and it makes you shoot pollen
Brilliant marketing, AND informing the customer. And funny, for sure 🤩
Root flares are _hip_
Excuse me, what the fuck?
this is sooo helpful! i remember this person in my village before. She always used to flatten out the mulch around the trunk (while i kept piling them high). i was 5 so didnt know better 😅 but now i understand. thank you!
Mulching too high can also prevent healthy root flare and cause epicormic shoots to grow into stem-girdling roots.
Me as a complete tree idiot assumes this means that the little growing roots that should go down go up and choke out the tree instead.
"see how the mulch goes up like a volcano? this is called a mulch volcano"
incredible. absolutely immaculate.
honorable mention:
"you see the major roots flaring out? that's called a root flare"
I thought I was the only one who caught how stupid he sounded😂😂
Ong. Ong and my momma.
To be fair, a lot of things are named like that. I thought I'd identify a big black spider I found in my house. I looked through pictures... and the answer? "Black House Spider."
@@elhazthorn918 there's also a person who saw a black bird with a yellow head, wondered what it's name is, looked it up, and it's "yellow headed blackbird"
These mounds of mulch also often hide that your tree was improperly planted. This happened at a house a relative just bought and an arborist came and went through how the trees weren't set in the group and that they will eventually die or fall over. What makes it worse is the trees will be able to grow to a height where removing them becomes very expensive, and cutting them down leaves you with a mound and a stump.
Thanks for this. We're trying to keep our 100 year old orange tree alive and happy if possible and every tip helps. I've been trying to make sure this happens but I might be able to explain WHY to my helpers better now.
Just leave it alone let it do its thing. It was around doing fine before you were born.
@@brianfitch5469 it was doing it's thing because my ancestors, who are now gone or dead, were caring for it. My grandfather grew up a farmer and I did not, so I have to pick up the know how somewhere.
@@kateh2893 with citrus trees they just need a light pruning from time to time. Leave the root bases alone. Unless your adding some fertilizer. Orange trees have been around for eons like most trees. They take care of themselves. When a tree gets to the end of its life theres usually not much that can be done.
If the tree is 100 years old its good just leave it be. Its nice though your worried about how to take care of it.
when I planted Trees I always did 6 to 8 inches away from the trunk with Mulch. Now most of the arborists around my area always said 3 inches away from trunk is good enough.
So I always been doing more then that.
Don't think it's a big easy. We want a wide root system anyways so the wide the mulch the better.
An inch from the base of the trunk is sufficient, but more will not hurt you. I doubt there is an ideal distance, just make sure mulch isn’t touching the base and you’ll be fine.
I use an inch because I want to retain as much moisture around the roots as possible, but still have enough gap to prevent the trunk from rotting at the base.
From my garbage knowledge, you should not put mulch volcanoes super close to the tree.
In a parking lot planting bed I measured 2 mulch volcanoes at 14 and 16". I usually measure 6 to 10" but these were amazing. These guys should be ashamed of themselves.
Obviously making $$ mulching..
@@wakranich3488 this is true.
Forget them and remove it. You can use the excess elsewhere. It's our duty as stewards of the planet.
May as well bury the whole damn tree at that point XD
As a horticulturalist, I applaud you. Trees rock!
No, trees wood.
Yes! and thats called crown rot?
Great to know! Excellent short video. Never knew the significance and relationship of the root flare to dirt/mulch level but will definitely remember this and spread it on!
Love you because you love trees and you're teaching people how to take better care of them! Thank you! 🙏
I never typed in mulch, wood chips, or anything like that. Yesterday and today I mulched my trees. This evening, this video is in my feed... 😮
AI is real…….
I have never read or seen this before. This is really good to know.
Same. I always thought that the more mulch, the better.
The arb doctor at college explained it as wanting a mulch “doughnut “ around the tree.
U r absolutely correct.
I've been telling home owners & others how damaging these 'volcanoes ' are. Ty.
I never knew trees didnt like mulch volcanos 😭😭😭
Now you know. No shame in learning. Spread the message to others.
@@stevens1041yep. I just learned it too today
that's because you were lied to!!
That's why we should stop and think more: roots need air. This is the same reason that overwatering is bad.
@@stevens1041 you say that as if people will be accepting of change 🤦🤦🤦we are human buddy
I like the look of the root flare its pretty
A few years of that and lots of trees die. Thx for sharing 👍
Ivy also keeps moisture on the bark of trees at the base, causing mold and mildew. It's deadly.
That tree must’ve been so relieved when you dug all that extra mulch away from the trunk
Love to see this! Thank you! Most people don't understand or know what their trees need! This is so important!
Great explanation: brief, concise but all the relevant information.
A couple weeks ago I was visiting a client who had just finished a major re-landscape in both his front and back yard. Gorgeous rock patio and fire pit! Typical perennial planting, nothing special there, and lots of trees. I didn't ask how much he paid but it had to be at least 5 digits and I doubt the first digit was 1. But the first thing I saw when I pulled up was the mulch volcanoes and no root flares. It drives me absolutely bonkers when "professionals" do stuff like this! They are supposed to know better!
I told him to call up the landscapers and demand that they return to dig up all the trees and plant them correctly. And to get other opinions from certified arborists if the landscapers gave him any trouble about it. I haven't heard yet if it's resolved or not.
Nice! You have inspired me to lay mulch around the tree at my mom's. I hate mowing around it as it kicks up so much dust lol. This seems like common sense to someone that gardens or landscapes a lot, but also something very easy to overlook.
But leave that ( air ) gap.👍
Thanks for this informative video. This is valuable information that a lot of people aren't taught. You've earned a subscriber
Most professionals in the Midwest who use the mulch volcano method plant the root ball above ground level for the health of the tree. Though out west where I am most people don’t do this.
I don't understand this, either. I've NEVER planted trees above grade. It's stupid.
@@MyerShift7right? Trees don't grow above grade naturally, why plant em that way? 15 years with the Parks Dept, we always planted new trees as level as possible. How are they supposed to sink a healthy, stable root system?
This video is so great and HELPFUL! Thank you so much for explaining it better than I’ve ever heard before.
People root drench and feed at the base, too. You have to deep mulch, feed, and medicate at the drip line, aka wherever rain falls hardest during a rain.
Really? So, would that be at the outer diameter encircling the longest branches, kinda'? I don't know where rain falls the hardest but logic suggests it's where branches and trunk are not in the way. Help by explaining further.
@@connectropy yep, right around the outer edge where there aren't branches in the way but also where the leaves direct the most water to, so it goes under the canopy a little. Look up air spade videos where they expose the roots of a tree.
me: watches Andrew the Arborist for the first time
also me: immediately digs around the office's plants to let the roots breath.
Good info. Now I need to sort out the trees in my yard.
Back in the 70s there was a lot of volcano mulching going on in my neighborhood and the trees kept dying like you said. We didn’t have enough $$ for mulch or gardening, just went to the woods, found a little baby tree and dug it out and planted in our yard. It was barely a foot or two but that baby grew tall which I didn’t think it would at all because we didn’t do the mounding around it like our neighbors did. Ironic.
great info. Heard this advice before, but better to "see" the advice: good and bad
I've come back here to say that after my brother and I separately saw this and wanted to show this to our mom ,this video swayed her and others from considering clearing the ground around some trees to doing it for sure. I'm not sure if maybe a century old lindens would die from that or a pile of rocks (which I realise is different from soil) but we cleared it anyway.
As an Arborist I HATE this but no matter how much I tell people at NOT to do this, they keep doing it!
people sadly have very little if no concern for the well being and importance of nature these days
but keep doing what you're doing. fight the good fight :)
Thanks for sharing this. My uncle always used to complain about this, but i don't know that he ever said WHY it was a problem and i don't think I ever asked. Missed my chance there, but now i understand
I learned you can’t bury a tree trunk when I was around 6 years old. So strange that professionals would do this. It seems like common knowledge to me. My mom even knew. I think she told me. It made sense to me then and still does. Trust me, if my mom knew something back in 1987, then everyone should know it no excuses.
Professionals dont do it.
I’m gonna go dig out my trees tomorrow. Thanks for the info!!!
im loving your videos simple and informative
yes, and another common mistake i used to make was not unwinding the root ball after taking it out of the pot. it will grow in a circle like it does in the pot and strangle itself.
I am a capital compared to you
@@phlagenjoyer you're an ideology of the wealthy, not an economic plan.
You have a flair for botany.
a root flair, one could say
This is the first UA-cam short that actually taught me something and it's actually useful
Man your videos are awesome! Also. I love trees!
I properly mulched my avocado tree here in central FL and this guy grew several feet in all directions this year. Proper technique and proper ingredients are so important 😊 thank you for these videos ❤
Love to hear it! :)
I see these so often where I live that I'm almost inclined to think that you're wrong... But then I realize that the lowest bidding contractor gets the job...
Glad I stumbled across this as I am learning on the fly as I take over caring for my mom's landscaping. Definitely reinforces some aesthetic choices I was making as actually being beneficial unbeknownst to me.
So interesting to know! Thank you for the knowledge 💖
Ahhhh thank you! I learned this volunteering with the greening of detroit! So many nurseries plant trees wrong! I also suggest digging a small ring wall further around the outside of the mulch to cause water to drain into the center of the rootball. Volacanos also push water away from the tree which makes them doubley bad for the health of the treeA
Tell people to pull some mulch off every year & put down fresh mulch.. Thank you for telling people the right way.
Just let the mulch decompose and replenish when needed. No need to remove it.
As the other commenter said, there is no reason to remove old mulch, it should decay naturally. If you feel the inclination to remove mulch before putting more down (which is counterintuitive since one of the the main functions of mulch is to break down and become compost for the tree) then youre probably putting mulch down too thickly.
You can turn mulch if its gotten sun bleached but you should never need to remove it.
@@GeertSawek you can leave it but pull it back from the tree
City planted a tree on the terrace and left some basic info on my apartment door (as if it's my responsibility, but I took it). Nothing about this. I just checked--I ACCIDENTALLY MULCHED IT RIGHT! Seriously though, I love Jasper, my Kentucky Coffee Tree.
Whenever I see it, I just fix it and move on 👍🏻
Basically if you’ve never seen a tree in the forest gather loads of dirt and dead wood chips about its base don’t assume a tree outside the forest is suffering from a lack of said dirt and wood chips.
I'm always seeing this and the tree buried too deep SGR too
thanks Andrew! I like listening to your clear calming voice and have this on repeat ^^
Thanks so much :) Glad you enjoy!
Preach it!
Glad you posted this. I will be mulching all our fruit trees this autumn and was wondering how to do it. Thank you.❤
Awesome! Glad it was helpful!
Never seen a mulch volcano and it looks stupid
EXCELLENT INFO! Thanx so much, for those of us who seriously mean well, but haven't known better......until this vid!!! 🌳🍂🍃🌳🍃🍂🌳 May the trees live on......!
Keep Educating!!...✌️❤️😎👍👍🌳
FINALLY I find someone else who knows this fact. Thank you for keeping Trees Healthy 👌
How would you mulch if the tree was originally buried a little too deep?
Just go way thinner with it around the trunk
Also known as root crowns! I learned at work planting trees for people, it feels good to do it right and see trees the others have planted doing well.
I learned it as crown rot
So the mulch does the tree trunks what it does to your fence post. I replace more fence post because of people mulching up to their fences stacking it up really high around their fence post riding them out all the time.
Use steel.
@@johnbrattan9341 I have you steel and it's still rots out even if you use galvanized. The best way I found out to keep the post in better shape is you drill diagonal holes into the wood and pour oil into them. This will greatly extend the life of your post.
Thank you for the lesson. I have fruit trees like mangos in my yard. Now I know how to properly care for them.
Thanks for making your UA-cam account and posting this information.
I never knew this but I did always hate seeing the tree buried up the trunk. I love the look of the root flare. It’s just so pretty and makes a tree look more like a tree.
Howard Garrett, The Dirt Doctor says the same thing. That's why I don't have mulch or anything else planted around my trees except grass. Trees are beautiful on their own! 👍
grass is not helpful around a tree though, they feed off of what the tree would be feeding off. plant clover if you want a living mulch. clover fixes nitrogen that would feed the tree.
I figured it out after observing my trees trying to elevate their roots years ago. Now I’m sure of this phenomenon. Thank you for your advice
Thanks for including a positive example! 😊
Free the root flare!! ❤ Thanks for spreading the word! 🌳
Thanks! very helpful!
In highschool we had a community service day where we planted a bunch of trees and we would make a little moat around it with the mulch
My dad built a 2-foot wall around our big tree when I was a kid and made a flower bed right around the tree. He was told his tree would be dead within 2 years, but hear it is almost 20 years later and stronger than ever.
Nice summary. This is very common and not obvious to many.
Another reason you need to be able to see the tops of the root structure is because if you can't, there's a high risk of stem-girdling roots (sgr) - i.e. roots that wrap around the trunk, and will ultimately kill the tree (just like ring-barking would). Sgr is a common problem in trees which have been planted too deep as well
😮
Whoa! That’s really interesting and helpful. Thank you!
We just lost a couple dead birch trees in a storm and this very well could have been why we lost them in the first place.
If I don't like the look of the base, I just put more plants around it. Really isn't that hard and looks way better
Gotta pass this info on to my mom! Thanks, Andrew!😊❤
Volcano mulching also causes a response of secondary roots to grow and girdle the stem which strangles the vascular system of the tree. This is a really great UA-cam short, keep them coming. More people should take interest in trees.
First ones probably planted to high to blame the mulching
@@dylan15243 even if that were the case it’s never beneficial to mulch like that. The mulch really shouldn’t even be touching the stem or large roots because it can trap moisture against the wood which can lead to bacteria and fungus build up on the wood leading to disease and decay.
@ifwegrove1784 dude keeping an inch of mulch against a tree will not kill it.
Trees in forests drops leaves... leaves pack... get moist... are in contact with the stems of trees... yet the trees survive.
@@dylan15243 I didn’t say it would kill it. I said it’s not beneficial. I’m not trying to argue or have a negative or combative tone either. The forests I walk through, all the buttress roots are exposed and no leaves pile up around the stems because fungus is constantly breaking down the old foliage. You don’t have to believe a licensed arborist of eleven years, look it up for yourself. And that first tree in the video was mulched more like 4-5 inches up the stem.
I've always hated the mountains of mulch used to cover tree trunks like this it's so ugly and I'm glad someone is addressing how bad it is for the tree
I mean, you sort of over explain, but by crom this stuff is soooo important. Thank you
Proper mulch as seen in the vid is great for keeping grass and weeds away from the tree, using an edge trimmer/weedwacker near the trunk is bad for the tree's bark
And the root flare looks beautiful so hiding it is double wrong!
I'm glad I found this channel
Woah, thanks for this tip. So many critical things to learn in life. Also, never feed a baby water, never grow avocado trees from the pit, and don't feed kittens cow milk.
im growing an avocado plant from the pit done it a few times
Why should you not let them turn into trees ?
I’m too cheap to buy mulch, so I guess I’ve been saving the trees!
Mulch is good, but having mulch right up against the trunk is not good
Whoops! Need to get my rake out.. I've obviously done a bad thing to my apple trees. THANK YOU!
That tree’s thanking you man. The sogginess of that bark must’ve been awful
I wish people would get educated in the field of our nature. Thank u
Good stuff. Clear and concise.
They also did this to all of the new build houses in my new neighborhood. I’m going outside THIS morning and fixing my 2 trees.
Appreciate the knowledge my man
Thanks for watching!