Tree Root Girdling

Tree Root Girdling (also called "mulch volcano" damage) occurs when mulch is piled high against the trunk covering the root collar and root flare. The trapped moisture softens the bark and forces roots to grow upward into the mulch instead of outward into the soil. Those adventitious roots encircle the trunk and slowly strangle the tree as it thickens with age. In Middle Tennessee landscapes this is one of the most common preventable causes of tree decline — AJ sees it on almost every job site with newer landscaping. Pull mulch back two to three inches from the trunk, expose the root flare, and keep the mulch donut shallow (two inches max).