Home >
Learn >
Tree Care >
Tree Tip
How can I protect my tree from the “lawn mower-itis” disease?
Sadly, lawn mower-itis afflicts countless landscapes every year, stunting or even killing the trees in extreme cases. The tree becomes affected when the mower hits sensitive bark tissue on a young tree. In addition to the wound itself, the hit by the mower also damages the water and sugar transport system in the tree, which is located just under the surface of the bark. If hit badly enough, or often enough, this will starve the tree to death. Prevent this type of physical damage by removing all grass from around the base of the young tree. A wide ring of mulch/wood chips around the tree will help deter grass growth. The mulch is preferable to a layer of plastic weed cloth which will restrict the flow of air and water. Additionally, a plastic trunk guard can be wrapped around the base of the trunk for an extra buffer. These protective measures will also save your trees from the alternate disease strain, weed whacker-itis.