Outdated Landscaping Practices 👎

Old habits die hard in the world of landscaping. Some are born from misinformation. Some come from landscaper laziness. And others come from old traditions that keep a grip on the garden for whatever reason. Here are a few common ones you’ll see around town…

MULCH VOLCANOES

Ever seen mulch piled up like a mountain around the base of a tree? A mulch volcano like this will trap moisture against the stem, rot bark, and suffocate roots. You all know that we are pro-mulch at CoFo but we keep it at most a few inches deep, pulled back from the trunk, and spread wide like a natural forest floor. Apologies for the jump scare… A truly frightening mulch volcano

Heard you guys like mulch volcanoes
byu/AlpineRaditude inarborists

CRAPE MURDER?

We don’t tend to plant crape myrtles as they hold very little use to our local ecology. But crape murder, or the annual topping of the crape-myrtle tree, does serve as a good example of how the wrong landscaping practices can take hold. It is sort-of a bastardized version of a type of pruning called pollarding. True pollarding can offer utility to both humans and livestock. For humans, continually topping some tree species will offer perfect shoots for basket-weaving. For livestock, pollarding creates abundant fodder for them to munch on at perfect harvesting height. But now, landscapers use this practice as a quick and dirty way to shrub-ify a tree. It’s easy, fast, and provides a certain aesthetic. In the long run though, it weakens the tree, ruins its natural shape, and can invite major stress for the tree.

Any hope for my crepe murdered tree?
byu/fenderbender86 inlandscaping

LANDSCAPE FABRIC

The idea of landscape fabric is pretty dreamy on paper which is why it caught on like wildfire. It’s a short-term fix for the very short-term outlook that grips much of landscaping. Unfortunately, it blocks the regenerative and natural order of soil. Organic matter can’t cycle back into the topsoil and weeds still punch through eventually. Regular mulching, living mulch, or biodegradable weed barriers are the way to go.

PLANTING DEPTH

A shrub with half of its root ball sticking out of the ground. Or a tree buried like treasure. These are things that you will see regularly if you keep a curious eye. Planting too deep suffocates the roots and can cause rotting. Planting too high will leave plants thirsty and stressed. The root flare (i.e. the first sign of roots coming off the stem) should be level with the soil surface. That being said, planting a tad high is better than too low because plants can settle into the soil and rotting won’t be an issue. Aim for that sweet spot, though. 

Bought a house with trees planted too deep. Struggling on how to backfill
byu/MediumMac inarborists