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Soil berm to retain irrigation
Berms made from soil allow water to soak into the root ball but unless covered with mulch rainfall quickly washes soil from the berm onto the root ball. This could bury the roots too deep. This should be prevented by applying a 3- to 4-inch layer of organic mulch over the berm, or most preferably by constructing the 3- to 4-inch high berm from mulch, not soil. Note that the point where the top-most root in the root ball emerges from the trunk (see arrow) is close to the root ball surface and above the landscape soil surface.
