Mulch mistake almost cost me a customer's prized oak

I used to think more mulch meant better tree care. A customer's oak started wilting, and I was stumped. After talking to an arborist friend, I found the mulch was too deep and holding water. I reduced it, and the tree bounced back in weeks. Now I always check mulch depth first.

3 comments

3 Comments

carter.sam1mo ago

Same here, I learned the hard way. Now I just poke around the base with a stick to check depth, keep it to a couple inches max.

walker.logan1mo ago

Man, I used to think that sounded way too careful until I tried it last winter. Honestly thought just eyeballing it was fine but ended up busting a sprinkler head. Doing the poke test actually shows you where the weak spots are. Yeah, your way is definitely the smart move.

the_derek20d ago

Ngl it's like that with everything. People think more is better but half the time you're just making a bigger problem.