U.S. Lawns - Baton Rouge, LA

Mulch volcanoes show up on a lot of commercial properties this time of year. The mound looks tidy from the parking lot, but it's quietly working against the trees underneath.

Mulch packed against the trunk holds moisture against the bark, which invites disease and pest activity over time. The tree responds by circling its own roots in search of air, and by the time the canopy shows visible symptoms, the damage has been building for years. Replacing a mature tree on a commercial property runs into thousands of dollars before accounting for the gap it leaves in the landscape while a replacement grows in.

The right application is two to three inches deep, pulled back three to six inches from the base, shaped like a donut rather than a cone. The same logic applies to annual mulch refresh — if last year's layer hasn't fully broken down, piling more on top creates a mat that sheds water instead of letting it through, which defeats the purpose of the application.

Properly installed mulch is one of the more cost-effective tools in a landscape budget: moisture retention, w**d suppression, root insulation, and long-term soil improvement for a relatively modest line item. The difference between getting that return and creating an expense that works against the property comes down to how it's applied.