Bury the pots as deep as you need to but leave them in the pots so the dirt rises to the occassion. [pun intended]. It's a thought anyway. If they weren't annuals I'd probably say pull some of the bark away from the planting area.

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Karrie you know you can't have the mulch up around the tree itself right? That causes some kind of problem and can kill the tree. You have to pull it away from the trunk if nowhere else. I wish I could remember exactly what it causes but I know it's bad. Almost as bad as my memory.

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Many landscapers use way too much mulch around trees. They often make a donut around the tree with 6 or more inches of mulch. It looks nice, but it's really not a good practice because water can't easily penetrate through the mulch into the ground where the roots need it. Perhaps you should remove some of the mulch and use it elsewhere. You probably shouldn't have more than 3 inches of mulch. This is usually enough to discourage weeds while allowing water to reach the roots, plus it should allow you to plant your annuals directly in the dirt. It isn't recommended to plant them in mulch because they won't get the necessary nutrients they need to thrive.

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