Raised Bed Around Fruit Tree

Question

We have an apricot tree in our backyard with a flower bed around it. We have a lot of problems with grass growing into the garden. We are thinking of putting a raised bed around the tree, with a cement curb outside of the bed for easy trimming. Will the raised dirt level hurt the healthy tree at all?

Answer 1

Yes, building up soil around the base of an established tree can cause issues, ranging from crown rot to suffocation of the root system. Instead of building up the soil, a better solution might be to build a series of containers or contained bed around the tree that will keep the soil from touching the trunk.