A: Good question and I actually have a couple of photos which show the water damage on a crape myrtle from too much mulch or mulch “volcanoes”. I wish mulch volcanoes were not a common practice in landscapes and on commercial property. I believe it will take some time before we can change this inappropriate practice, but we keep trying. The photo shows the moisture ring caused by the mulch piled up at the trunk. In this particular case, the mulch was only there a few months so we were able to move the mulch off and allow the trunk to dry. Therefore, we don’t believe there was any permanent damage. However, think about the potential of this moisture remaining for long periods of time on a thin bark tree trunk. The piles of mulch can potentially allow for fungal disease to enter into the tree. Consider how damaging this could be for the whole tree if the bottom of the tree trunk is compromised. Trees in urban settings have enough stresses without putting on additional ones such as too much mulch and moisture. This is so easy to fix. Remove the mulch from around the base of the tree and move it out (2-3 inches deep only) under the canopy of the tree. While you are removing the mulch, you might also check to see if the tree has too much soil on the roots too. The combination of the two (too much mulch and soil) can prove deadly. The photo I included shows circling/girdling roots really close to the trunk – not a good thing either. All these issues (too much soil and mulch, circling/girdling roots) can be corrected at the same time. Your tree will be so appreciative and happy.

0