Will Rocks Around a Tree Kill It? What Charlotte Hall, MD, Must Know Before Landscaping

Trees do wonders for the landscape, especially when they provide much-needed shade to a sunny yard. A beautiful, well-cared-for tree may inspire you to touch up the rest of the area with more plants and decorative rocks. But will rocks around a tree kill it?

Placing rocks around a tree can present some problems if you aren’t careful about how you do it. Charlotte Hall’s expert tree services, Hernandez Complete Tree Service, can help you learn how to do it right with this helpful guide. If you need better guidance for your situation, feel free to call us with your questions.

Too Many Rocks Will Kill Trees

You may be tempted to cover up ugly roots or bare spots around your tree with decorative rocks. It’s understandable, but it just isn’t a great idea. Will rocks around a tree kill it? Yes, but it could take some time.

Problems associated with rocks around trees are:

• Soil Compaction: Rocks are heavy, even if you’re using small gravel pebbles. They’ll weigh down on the soil and cause it to compact around the tree roots, leading to restricted airflow. Trees will show signs of stress or death if they can’t receive enough oxygen.
• Poor Temperature Regulation: You know that rocks can feel like a hot stove top if you’ve ever walked across them barefoot. Imagine roots baking underneath that heat all day. Hot soil isn’t good for trees and their health will decline throughout summer.
• Reduced Absorption: A healthy tree needs proper water absorption and nutrient uptake, both of which are inhibited when rocks are covering the ground. The rocks can physically block water and nutrients from reaching the soil, causing the tree to not have enough of what it needs to survive.

These problems kill trees slowly, so you’ll have time to reverse them when you realize it’s an issue. But when left for too long, the tree will eventually die.

How To Use Rocks Around Trees

The trick to using rocks in a way that won’t cause airflow restriction is to use a lining.

Will rocks around a tree kill it if you use it with something underneath? No, because the protective layer allows proper drainage and access to oxygen, nutrients, and water.

Why Mulch Is the Answer

Mulch provides many benefits to trees, making it the ultimate rock barrier. It will stimulate root growth by allowing water, nutrients, and oxygen to pass through, something rocks can’t do by themselves. The roots don’t have to fight for what they’re looking for because the mulch makes it easy. Mulch also regulates the soil temperature to protect it from hot rocks and cold snow.

On top of that, mulch improves your curb appeal by blocking weeds and adding color and texture to your landscape. The only downside is that natural mulch like wood chips breaks down over time and will have to be replaced.

Landscaping Fabric Works, Too

If you don’t want to use mulch, try landscaping fabric. Choose something thick that drains easily to allow the roots to breathe while preventing too much heat from building up. If you ever want to get rid of the rocks, the fabric will make it easy to pick them all up and remove them.

Call Hernandez Complete Tree Service Today

Hernandez Complete Tree Service in Charlotte Hall, MD, is happy to help you with all your tree questions. “Will rocks around a tree kill it?” and “Can a split tree branch be repaired?” are only two of the many questions we can help you with. Contact us today at (240) 299-4639 for all your tree needs.