You have seen them all over San Antonio yards: a tall cone of mulch piled high against the trunk of a tree. It looks tidy and finished, but it is quietly working against the tree.
When mulch is heaped against the bark, it traps moisture where the trunk needs to stay dry. That leads to rot, invites insects and disease, and encourages roots to grow up into the mulch instead of down into the soil. Over a few years, those circling roots can strangle the tree.
The fix is simple and free. Pull the mulch back a few inches from the trunk so you can see the root flare, and spread it in a wide, flat ring instead of a cone. Think doughnut, not volcano. A two to three inch layer is plenty.
Take a look at the trees in your yard this week. Is the mulch piled against any of the trunks?
#TreeCare #TreeHealth
A side-by-side of a mulch volcano piled on a trunk versus a proper flat mulch ring with the root flare visible. Real yard examples are far more useful than stock diagrams.
Canva text suggestion: "Doughnut, Not Volcano" or "Keep Mulch Off the Trunk"