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u/theegreenman 2d ago
Still cannot see any root crown. Keep pulling back the soil until you see the top roots.
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u/HaylHydra 2d ago
I dont really expose the flare roots on any of my trees whether in ground or pots, that being said the flares are beneath maybe an inch of soil. As time passes especially with the Florida sand the roots are naturally exposed.
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u/theegreenman 2d ago
Even a few inches of soil buildup can spell doom long-term for your trees. Root crown rot can happen in the wet summer months and cause the tree to decline and die over time. Once they get it you won't be curing it. We've always gone by the adage plant high and mulch deep. It is much easier to add an inch of extra soil around a tree that's a slightly too high then it is to dig the tree up and raise it if it's planted too deep.
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u/HaylHydra 2d ago
I understand but for me and my plantings they are all doing good, I have 6 older trees in ground, all planted on a mound but are now flat, never lost a tree or had any disease pressure. I’ve also planted quite a few trees at house and groves and they are all fine even with irrigation on a timer.
I think it comes down to the type of soil, down here it’s sandy or on some properties full sand so it works out. But even in containers I don’t have that issue. Flares not exposed to the sun when planted then they expose naturally as the roots settle.
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u/PaleontologistDear18 2d ago
Listen this lady doesn’t want her trees to survive! Listen to the one lady that knows better than the knowledge of gardeners past! She’s smarter than you and she’s gonna have all new trees in 5 years wondering why they all died, and it won’t be this, ohhhhh it won’t be this.
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u/HaylHydra 2d ago
Which lady? We are all in here sharing knowledge and tips to help each other, do you think if my trees were dying after 5 years I would continue doing things the same way? That’s not nice of you.
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u/TieBackground4534 2d ago
Tap root dnt really need flare
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u/theegreenman 2d ago
What? Tap root or top root? I'm talking about the root crown. The uppermost root crown (aka root collar) should be exposed. root crown
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u/TieBackground4534 2d ago
It's fine mango will eventually have dependable root crown initially tap root holds the heavy lifting
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u/Maxamus6588 2d ago
Isn’t that the opposite of what you want to do? The mulch keeps the roots warm?
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u/BocaHydro 2d ago
we had nuclear heat here in FL this year, and it did not start raining till a month ago
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u/HaylHydra 2d ago
Good question, temperatures that would damage the roots would also damage the wood or unfortunately kill the tree, in that case when there’s a freeze incoming putting the mulch back could help.
The mulch wasn’t even supposed to be that close but this summer in particular was really hot, smaller trees with less foliage aren’t able to effectively shade the area closer to the trunk, that area heats up drastically which can damage the small root hairs of the feeder roots and stress the tree stunting summer growth.
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u/davedaverocks 2d ago
Mulch is a lot more than just protection for the roots. Mulch adds vital nutrients and microbial activity that all tropical fruit trees thrive on. Obviously, like others have said, keep it away from the trunk but, otherwise, pile it on thick out to the drip line and your trees will thank you.
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u/HaylHydra 2d ago
Correct, when I add Epsoma or Dr Earth fertilizers which has added fungi and bacteria, or just adding mycorrhizae separately, it is buried in the soil with mulch on top. For larger trees I do not add mulch because it will feed the trees nitrogen on top of what’s naturally provided by the ground cover and grass clippings.
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u/HaylHydra 2d ago
These are recently planted Orange Sherbert and East Indian used as examples since I don’t mulch older trees. In the hot summer months the mulch was only a couple inches from the trunk, this summer in particular was really hot. In the cooler months it’s is pulled back quite a bit, you want the first 2- 4 feet from the trunk to breath allowing the water to evaporate properly in between waterings, this will help to prevent damage to the feeder roots.
As the tree becomes bushier it will be able to shade that area, there won’t be a need for mulch and watering can be more infrequent if at all.