Mulch Volcanoes

KevinS

KevinS

Branched out member
Location
ontario
Does any one know any good papers/ illustrations on mulch volcanoes?

At what point is it too late to fix volcanoes and root zones?

We have some landscape contractors that have been just adding mulch for years. The trees are in obvious decline and on some trees I've dug at least 8" just to find flare.

I'm trying to put together a small book/binder of material on common problems to show customers. Such as not removing wire and hose from planting, volcanoes, unmonitored cobra cable, etc the easy obvious stuff, to us anyways.

Appreciate any help.
 
If anyone has any pet peeves that bug them like these other problems I'd love to add them to my list feel free to share
 
"At what point is it too late to fix volcanoes and root zones?"

Never too late to find the flare. Re investing in rehab, depends on the objective, etc,, ultimately the owner's call.
 
I removed a 5 inch DBH redbud the other day with a large mulch volcano. It looked like maybe a herbicide inpregnated fiber cloth like mat was buried with about ten inches of mulch. The tree roots had grown into this ring. Deader than seven hells so I'm of the opinion that at some point it does become 'too late'.
 
It's a service badly needed by many HOAs, but it can be a hard long sell to a 1-tree owner. The vid is old and kind of redundant but i hope it makes sense. I'll try to revisit the trees for pics this weekend.

O and Dan I agree about doing all of the work not being always justified; I was just talking about finding the flare for diagnosis. The trouble is, if you spec remove-and-replace, how good will the replacement be?
tongue.gif
 
Guy I'm not saying the work is not justified, it's just that the tree I removed was because it was dead. I told the owner what may have killed it and how to mulch the new tree so the replacement should be pretty good. She learned the hard way. Mulch Volcanoes are everywhere around here. It seems after 15 or 20 years word would get around but evidently not.
 
It happens everyday despite all the info to the contrary. Often it's just easier for the crew to shovel the mulch onto the bed and move on.

One of my pet peeves is the build up of soil over the root collar on B&B stock that seemingly never gets removed. When your client replaces make sure they clear this away to find the root collar to obtain the proper planting depth.
 
Kevin,
Pet peeves? Whew! Where to begin...


1) the idea that rocks, recycled tires, or any other non-compostable is a mulch...I think cypress and cedar mulch suck for the majority of trees too, for that matter.

2) planting any tree where the root flare is below grade

3) like Humper said, "soil level too high" (and it's not only in B&B) I hate when I buy an expensive Japanese Maple and have to slowly and systematically excavate and root prune until I find a root flare

4) the lack of understanding towards the damage a weed trimmer can do to a thin-skinned tree. Of course "mulch" would help this consequence. But they'd just "volcano" it. More is better, right? Speaking of which; I've seen whole parking lots full of dead trees due to volcanoes.

5) Frax hit a great point with with the retaining walls. Why do people love to put their full size trees in pots? I swear I've lost jobs over this one...when I explain to clients that the "wall 'o blocks" around their tree is not good for it.

And I try to deliver the news respectfully, and with charm. "You may want to have that removed. It can cause girdling roots, like you see in a potted plant, and raises the soil level above the root flare!" They dont want to hear it. They want a tree guy that tells them what they want to hear.

6) Utility trimmers carving Pac-Man shapes in trees around power lines...and flushing every cut in the process. I've relaxed on this one a bit. I know the guys got a job to do. I just wish all utils were under ground. And I wish Lewis Utility would learn what a branch collar is.

OK, off my high horse for now. I have more peeves but I'm hittin' the sack...
 
I don't think it matters much whether it's a volcano or a layer ... but the depth of the mulch, and how much is added, and when, is what's important.

My experience finds little need for mulch / barkdust thicker than about 3" thick.

Bark mulch seems to cause a thatch roof like quality sometimes, where it repels water initially, and if too deep, traps water before it reaches roots.
 
Sorry md, I agree about depth/ thickness being important, but I'm not sure if you're saying that barkdust is pro or con at 3" or at all?

What's the difference between barkdust and wood chips?

I assume one is from bark and one's from wood, so what I'm asking is one better do they break down into different npk levels in the end?
I've never worked with this as far as I know so would love to hear back.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Bark mulch seems to cause a thatch roof like quality sometimes, where it repels water initially, and if too deep, traps water before it reaches roots.

[/ QUOTE ]

Shredded hardwood does the same; see Dec Arborist News p 31
 
[ QUOTE ]
Sorry md, I agree about depth/ thickness being important, but I'm not sure if you're saying that barkdust is pro or con at 3" or at all?

What's the difference between barkdust and wood chips?

I assume one is from bark and one's from wood, so what I'm asking is one better do they break down into different npk levels in the end?
I've never worked with this as far as I know so would love to hear back.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not that it was a need, but I got 40 chip truck loads of wood chips on my mother's 2 acres when I was back in college. Spread it almost a foot thick and the nature of the chips rarely packed and repelled water in the same fashion as what I typically experience with medium hemlock and Douglas Fir barkdust, which seems to lay flatter and has a different texture.

Bark nuggets are totally different.

Have seen fine wood chips crust-over before too on occasion.

Might depend on climate. Our 7 or 8 moist months seems to pack down mulch layers pretty good.
 
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