Mulch Volcanoes: How One Landscaping Mistake Can Damage Your Trees and Curb Appeal By Realtor.com

Homeowners have complicated relationships with trees. Most people know how important trees are to our environment, our health, and the landscape on which their properties sit. At the same time, trees can mean costs related to upkeep and property damage. 

So it might be frustrating to hear that a very simple, yet common, landscaping technique can harm and kill trees, which can be expensive to remove, and lead to curb appeal issues if it ever comes time to sell your home. 

Homeowners may think they are protecting their trees by adding mulch around the trunk to protect the roots. But a common mistake people make when landscaping is applying mulch the wrong way, leading to a deadly “mulch volcano.”

How do mulch volcanoes form?

Mulch is organic material spread around trees to retain soil moisture, suppress weeds, and provide nutrients as it decomposes. While homeowners and landscapers apply mulch thinking they're helping their trees, improper application can lead to tree death. 

Mulch volcanoes come from people making a well-intentioned yet destructive mistake in tree care. When mulch is piled high against the tree trunk in a volcano-like mound, it creates serious problems. 

“The primary issue is that it retains moisture against the base of the tree, which can create fungal issues, decay, or other rot,” says Kaustubh Deo, the owner of Blooma Tree Experts in Seattle. “We don’t want the moisture trapped against the tree bark; we want it trapped in the ground where the roots can access it.”

How mulch volcanoes damage trees of all ages

Mulch volcanoes damage trees in ways that compound over time. When mulch is piled against the bark, the trapped moisture creates ideal conditions for fungal pathogens and disease. Most damaging are stem girdling roots that develop when roots growing into the mulch eventually encircle the tree trunk, essentially strangling it. As trees decline from these stresses, they become more susceptible to insects, diseases, and harmful fungi.

Young trees are especially vulnerable and can decline rapidly from mulch volcano damage. Smaller trees can be killed off by borers in just a few years of being overmulched. However, young trees can often be saved if the problem is caught early.

Mature trees, conversely, can withstand mulch volcano abuse much longer but face irreversible consequences. While some mature trees could last decades with mulch volcanos before showing serious decline, big mature trees with established stem girdling roots cannot be corrected. Their established root systems help them mask damage longer, but by the time symptoms appear, the tree may be beyond saving.

“If you do end up killing a larger, more mature tree, it’s basically irreplaceable in your lifetime. And the cost to remove it could range anywhere from $2,000 to $15,000 or more for one tree,” says Deo. 

Why poor landscaping impacts curb appeal

Damaged or dying trees can be an issue for homeowners for various reasons. From an aesthetic standpoint, no one likes looking at dead trees. In addition, a dead tree is not structurally sound—and as it decays, it’s more likely to fall on you, your family, your property, or your neighbor’s property. If a dead tree falls and someone is hurt or property is damaged, you may be held liable if you were aware of the issue but didn’t take action. 

If you plan on selling your home, ill or dead trees can also impact how people view your property. 

"Whenever I see dead trees when I go to list a home, it's one of the first things I'll say to a seller—you need to remove those, especially if they’re near the house and can fall on the house,” says Claudia Zucker, the owner of Living Structures Realty in Upstate New York. “They always tell me how expensive it is to remove dead trees, which it is. But in my estimation, it shows you have been maintaining your house. People want to know that this is a property that's been taken care of.”

Whether dead trees can affect the sale price depends on your market, price point, and the buyers involved. Some buyers may not be concerned, or feel they can take care of the issue themselves. But one thing is for sure: You’re less likely to have a bidding war on a property with dead—or potentially dead—trees.

“At certain price points, things like dead trees absolutely impact the number of people who would want to buy it,” says Zucker. “Especially at lower price points where buyers have less budget flexibility to deal with tree removal costs.” 

Can you fix it? Hopefully, yes

The solution is simple, says Deo: Spread mulch around the tree while leaving a clear gap around the base of the trunk. Mulch should extend outward to cover the tree's drip zone, protecting the root area where it actually benefits the tree. 

“Homeowners can just pull back the mulch to reveal the root flare again, and hopefully the damage or rot hasn’t set in,” says Deo. But, he warns, “if the rot has begun, then it’s likely too late.” 

This simple adjustment can save your trees—and potentially thousands of dollars in removal costs down the road. And a few minutes of proper mulching technique today is far easier than explaining to potential buyers tomorrow why your landscape looks like it's haunted.

"Call Eli Torres at (832) 430-2107, for your home buying and selling needs."

Source: www.realtor.com