TREE CARE
Soil problems quickly become tree problems . Compaction , leaching , poor drainage , and other ills are avoidable , and can be handled right away by cultivating and amending .
The hole we plant in must have soft edges to encourage the roots to keep going . Glazed sides of the site must be broken with a shovel .
Rarely , we find a tree in the landscape that is planted shallowly . It is obvious to the untrained eye ; root parts or whole roots are above ground . This shows up immediately , even if it is an erosion problem , and most landscape maintenance workers are trained to add soil in this case . I have seen this help a tree , but remember , do not add too much .
Soil problems quickly become tree problems . Compaction , leaching , poor drainage , and other ills are avoidable , and can be handled right away by cultivating and amending .
In most cases , mixing and amending soils isn ’ t much of a benefit , so applying a mulch to the cultivated soil , just a couple of inches thick , is best . The mulch will act on the soil and condition it in a short period . This is aided by good cultivation . Commercial mulches with animal waste that have been properly windrowed do the best job as they also add essential nutrients in a time-released manner .
Trees live and die in slow motion to our observation . We must slow our observations to tune in to the signals that trees are putting out to recognize signs of stress . Problems in your treescape will become more visible as you seek the flare .
It ’ s also important to use proper terms . Soil is not dirt . Soil is a mixture of air , living microorganisms , organic dead stuff and minerals . Air is a combination of gases , such as nitrogen , oxygen and others . The best way to give plants air is to cultivate and offer the soil and growing space needed . Often , roots expand even further from the tree .
We must allow more air , gas exchange , and water absorption to occur deep in the soil . Water moves in all directions in the soil . If the tree does not perk up with cultivation and mulching , a slow small dose of a light fertilizer formulated for trees can be used . Special , low-nitrogen formulations are available for trees . It is easy to overfeed trees while adequately feeding the lawns nearby .
Trees are the longest-living organisms and longest-term survivors . They have outlasted dinosaurs , volcanoes , and hungry mammals over the ages . Now they face string trimmers , chain saws , and the competition of encroaching lawns .
If a tree is planted too deeply , even years after planting , it will be healthier with the careful removal of soil from the root crown .
These new skills are dirt simple . They will also help you as landscape managers to ask the right questions , and educated discussions about tree health and root flare can now be had . SFM
Jack O ’ Shea is a traveling crew trainer with ACRT Arborist Training . He is an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist , and holds an ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification certification . In 2020 , Jack graduated from the American Society of Consulting Arborists Consulting Academy . He has been involved in the tree care industry for more than 30 years , and specializes in land use issues and construction mitigation for trees . sportsfieldmanagementonline . com May 2021 | SportsField Management
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