"I'd rather not start all over if I don't have to!" Gardeners warn against alarmingly popular yard trend spreading across ...

Mulch volcanoes come from people making a well-intentioned yet destructive mistake in tree care. When mulch is piled high ...

This photo shows a tree root that is growing above ground and is wrapping around the base of a tree. This is not a normal occurrence for trees. Usually a tree will grow a girdling root or roots ...

Neil Sperry says girdling roots are a common problem, yet many fail to notice them.

"Mulch volcanoes cause moisture to be trapped at the base of the trunk, which can cause rot, disease, and other issues," the tree pro wrote. "They also give roots the opportunity to encircle the trunk ...

Watch out for girdling roots. They tightly wrap around a trunk, restricting the flow of water and nutrients. This can lead to stress, stunted growth and even the death of the tree.

Trim and remove girdling roots as soon as possible. Seal any cut wood of the remaining portion of the tree with black pruning paint to prevent infection. PHOTOS VIA NEIL SPERRY ...

Incorrect pruning, particularly “topping,” is the surest way to ruin a tree. If it doesn’t kill the tree outright, it will result in extremely dense growth at the ends of the chopped-off branches.

Circular roots, caused by growing a tree in a container for too long, can also girdle a tree as it grows. If you see a tree that looks dead on only one side, chances are it has a girdling root ...