Question about a weird root flare I saw in a Denver park last week

I was walking through Cheesman Park last Tuesday and saw a mature oak with what looked like a normal root flare, but the soil was mounded up about 8 inches around the trunk. When I poked at it, I found a solid ring of mulch and dirt covering the actual flare. The tree had been planted about 3 years ago and someone just kept piling on material every season. How do you guys handle correcting this when you find it on a public job?

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3 Comments

umaadams6mo ago

We'd carefully excavate that mound to expose the flare and add a proper mulch ring.

9

nathanthompson6mo ago

Hold up, does anyone check the soil level on the other side of the tree first? Sometimes that mound is there because the ground settled weird or the grade is off. You dig out the flare but then the tree looks like it's leaning on a hill.

5

verar635mo ago

Actually I've seen that cause more harm than good. Digging out a big mound can mess with the roots that have already grown into that soil. It's often better to just grade the soil away from the trunk gently instead of a deep excavation.

5