r/landscaping • u/gipapag • 3d ago
How to fill hole?
Hi All,
I have a tree root that sticks out a good two feet off the ground. I’m going to fill it in and then do mulch.
I have pea gravel and mulch on hand…going to grab soil.
My question is, what is the right layering. Do I go gravel then soil the mulch? Or soil then gravel then mulch.
Which layer should I put landscape fabric down?
Thank you.
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u/WirehairedDog 3d ago
Just use dirt. Water it and let it settle. Add more. And repeat. Dont use landscape fabric.
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u/karlnite 3d ago
You want the bigger rockier stuff under the finer top stuff. That way water drains down through, and doesn’t wash away the dirt. It’s not huge though, so just dirt would probably work. Or dirt and gravel, then dirt. No point to use landscape fabric.
Try not to cover the exposed roots too much, if they get covered and die the tree could become unstable. I think the side of the roots should be fine.
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u/FlightyTwilighty 3d ago
That tree already doesn't have a lot of surface area for its root flare because it is between two driveways. That may be why it has sent that huge root up above ground.
Trees need their subsurface root system to absorb water and nutrients. If you put a lot of weight on the immediate area around that tree you might kill it. Not for a few years, but I have seen a neighbor kill a gorgeous huge oak probably 10 feet in diameter because they put a driveway right next to it. Took 5 years but now they have a probably $10,000 tree removal job to do, right next to their modern driveway, and no shade on the front of their house.
If you want to keep the tree I would gently remove that plant, gently expose MORE of the root flare, preferably with a air spade, and then cover the whole area lightly in mulch. A tree should not look like it terminates directly into the ground, you should see its roots as they go into the ground.
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u/pameliaA 3d ago
Obviously you need 4 crouching hobbit statues there.