# Question about farmed trees **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 20, 2020, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-farmed-trees/923378 "2020-10-20T02:41:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bumble\_ardee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc348/32.png) [@bumble\_ardee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bumble_ardee)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2020, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-farmed-trees/923378/1 "2020-10-20T02:41:29Z")
How does one prevent buttressed roots? Does regular spading work? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2020, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-farmed-trees/923378/2 "2020-10-20T13:36:27Z")
Trees that are farmed generally get replanted before this becomes an issue. Or are you talking about after they are replanted? ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2020, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-farmed-trees/923378/3 "2020-10-22T22:48:52Z")
It has become fashionable in recent decades to surround a newly planted tree in a cone of chipped-wood mulch. It’s a terrible idea. The root crown should be above the soil level on a healthy tree, exposed to the air. Buried in mulch, the roots will grow upward instead of sideways. Perhaps that’s what the OP meant by “buttressed roots.” True buttressed roots occur in banyans and figs; you can Duckduckgoog it. Besides, having mulch up against the trunk encourages rot and fungal growth.