Homeowner sparks concern after sharing landscaping proposal: ‘Sorry to be the bearer of bad news’
A first-time poster in Reddit’s r/gardening community presented an interesting predicament involving a newly built planter box and a 30-foot tree.
“Does it need any type of lining inside it before I add the soil since it’s on AstroTurf?” the curious Redditor asked, including a photo of the tree towering over the empty box and artificial grass.
Many of the gardeners on the forum warned against adding more soil, which could create a “mulch volcano” around the base of the tree and prevent the healthy growth of the tree’s roots into the dirt below.
This Reddit post is a great reminder that planting more trees — and keeping them alive — can easily beautify your yard while making the air we breathe much cleaner.
Trees naturally release fresh oxygen and absorb heat-trapping pollution, which reduces the rate at which greenhouse gasses accumulate in the atmosphere and helps to slow down the overheating of the planet.
Switching out the OP’s AstroTurf for something sustainable and eco-friendly, such as a native plant lawn, would do even more good for Earth by supporting area pollinators as well as acting as a food source and shelter for local wildlife.
As requested, many green thumbs came to the OP’s rescue with useful advice for keeping the tree alive.
“If you add additional soil above where it is now on the tree it will cause the roots to grow around the trunk, ‘girdling’ it which will eventually kill it,” one self-proclaimed “forestry person” advised.
“If you can move the box elsewhere, I recommend that you do,” they continued.
“I can’t say with 100% certainty, but it would make sense that as long as there’s ample room around the trunk that would be okay. However, given the size of the box that might not leave much space for the garden,” another Reddit user chimed in. “Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I would hate for you to lose a tree!”
“Try a collection of outdoor pots!” they suggested.
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