You need to breathe. Trees need to breathe. They breathe in the soil, at their roots.
While it's true that trees take in carbon dioxide that we breathe out... and they breathe out oxygen that we can use... but that is NOT what I am talking about.
Air has to get into the soil. Roots need access to air as well as needing water to uptake.
Perhaps you've seen where areas have been flooded for over a season, the trees die? That's why. Trees need water but not to be flooded with water. (Oh, there are a few species that can tolerate flooding, but not most trees.)
Volcano mulching is a no-no
There are so many reasons why this is bad:
- suffocating the tree--it can't get air to the roots. Smothers the tree.
- animals can dig in there are eat the bark
- bad microorganisms can flourish in the anaerobic conditions
- it looks stupid and indicates an uncaring landscaper and an ignorant homeowner
FILL KILLS, and so do stones and planters.
The #1 way to hurt trees is to put soil, fill, excess mulch, bricks, stones, gravel, ANYTHING around the base of a tree.
Many people in suburban areas think it's pretty to build a "planter" around the base of the tree. Pretty deadly.
Not to mention the embarrassment for the tree of having little stone raccoons and bunnies at its feet.
What does work? Leaving the natural soil level.
This isn't bad. When they raised the soil level because of putting in the driveway, they left the base level of the soil and protected it with a ring of stones.
Also, notice that there is no "volcano" pile of mulch at the base of the tree. You can still see the "flare" of the trunk at soil level.
The only thing that could be better would be a little bit larger ring of stones out to the drip line.
Hopefully, they used a permeable material for the driveway, not the old kind of asphalt. There are better, even recycled, water-permeable materials to pave with now.
What does work? Doing transplanting directly into a raised bed situation
What does work? Doing Nothing... and keeping the weed whackers away
Despite the shadows on this sunny autumn day, you can see that this tree has never had mulch put under it. And the owner makes sure that the weed whackers stay away.
BEECH TREE ALERT!!!
Beech trees of every kind have very delicate roots. They don't like their "feet" stepped on or interfered with. Even sometimes having a walking path under a Beech tree will hurt it. So don't mess with the area under a Beech tree. If you feel you just "have" to plant some ground cover, only put in a few sprigs and let it spread by itself.
Please click to go to other ways to help trees...
# 1 Thing to Do to HELP Trees: Let them Breathe. FILL KILLS.
#2 Thing to Do to HELP Trees: Remove “Stuff” and keep the weed whackers away.
#3 Thing to Do to HELP Trees: Insist on Construction Care and Fencing
#4 Thing to Do to HELP Trees: Advocate to keep trees. Think Wild. Speak for Trees.
#5 Thing to Do to HELP Trees: Be Considerate. Come from the Tree’s Point of View
#6 Thing to Do to HELP Trees: Watering and Balance the Elements
#7 Thing to Do to HELP Trees: Transplant Properly
#8 Thing to Do to HELP Trees: Go Organic
#9 Thing to Do to HELP Trees: Leave Leaves
#10 Thing to Do to HELP Trees: Clean Up and Help Each Other
Please check our sister website: PartnerWithNature.org.
Basia Alexander
Tree Lover. Co-founder, workshop leader, and author.
I listen to the trees' messages and share their wisdom.
Please visit my blog called THE UPSHIFT, BOOSTS BY BASIA at PartnerWithNature.org.
My passion is to upshift people's thinking about trees and Nature so that all of us together can co-create a livable planet.
