Can I add soil around an old tree trunk to fix erosion?
Adding soil or forming a drainage cone around the base of an established tree risks damaging it. The quotes show a homeowner trying to fix a 3 to 4 cm erosion depression near a large, decades-old tree, but piling soil directly against the trunk can trap moisture and harm the tree's health.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Spread the soil out over a 6 to 8 year project adding only 1/2 centimeter at a time
- 2Use excess topsoil to make deeper garden beds somewhere away from the tree
- 3Maintain 5 centimeters of organic mulch instead of adding topsoil
- 4watering that area more often
- 5mixing in topsoil, compost, and peat moss to help retain water
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“So I recently bought a house, 70 years old, and its been through a lot. In the front yard is a tree that is easily 15 metres tall, and has been there for decades. Around the base there is a depression about 3-4 cm deep, looks to be erosion.”source ↗
“CAN I form up a bit of a drainage cone around this area? SHOULD I do this?”source ↗
“I’m noticing the dirt underneath the trees towards the back is drying out faster than the rest. Is that bc of the trees? And should I just water that area more often?”source ↗
“Im mainly just wondering if that area towards the back is drier bc of the trees near it. The seed itself is fine. No top dressing or peat moss, just raked it in a bit”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 3Why is my newly transplanted tree dying after moving from a pot?
- 10How to raise low spots in a backyard with fill dirt
- 2How to prep a weed and mulch area for laying sod
- 3Why is my evergreen turning brown after winter?
- 33Why does my lawn pull up like a mat?
- 4How to fix yard erosion without a major landscaping overhaul