A gardener has turned to Reddit for help after discovering a major issue with their somewhat newly planted tree.
In a post shared to the r/arborists community, the homeowner explained that the young tree, planted earlier in the year, was leaning almost completely sideways, with various makeshift supports struggling to hold it up. The user said they had been “fighting to keep this tree upright for a couple days now,” but the problem kept getting worse.
Photo Credit: Reddit
“This tree was planted too deep, and I removed a girdling root a couple months ago,” the poster wrote. “That was the tip of the iceberg and the more the roots get exposed due to it falling, the more it’s obvious that the girdling is preventing it from being stable.”
Girdling roots wrap around the tree’s base rather than spreading outward, slowly choking it over time. The problem often stems from improper planting or from piling too much mulch against the trunk — a mistake known as creating a “mulch volcano.”
Mulch volcanoes are quite simply a waste of time. From buying and lugging the mulch to removing dead trees, it’s not worth the costs or effort. Experts say over-mulching can starve a tree of oxygen, rot its base, and cause structural weakness. What’s worse, the poster added that they live in a hurricane-prone area, meaning a storm could tear it right out of the ground.
For homeowners hoping to avoid the same mistakes, experts suggest avoiding mulch volcanoes and exploring sustainable yard options, like planting native species that will naturally thrive in your environment. They’ll save you money on watering and gardening supplies, and you’ll spend less time on maintenance.
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Fellow tree lovers in the community offered sympathy.
“That tree was doomed from the day it was put in the ground,” one person wrote. “Whoever planted it did everything wrong. Every. Single. Thing. Poor tree.”
Another wrote: “You’re fighting a losing fight. … Give up and move on.”
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Others encouraged the gardener to consider other options. “If you do end up replanting it, make sure to root prune it so the root system develops faster and stronger,” one suggested.
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