Offering A Few Tips for Avoiding Three Common Tree Care Mistakes
To the Editor:
As spring fast approaches, avoid these three common tree care mistakes; planting too deeply, over-mulching, and string trimmer laceration.
By far the most egregious of these three mistakes is planting too deeply. Care must be taken that the root collar, the bottom area of the trunk that flares outwards transitioning into roots, is above grade. A root collar below grade can lead to a host of problems such as constricted root respiration, stunted growth, trunk rot and splitting, increased susceptibility to disease, canopy dieback, and girdling roots. A tree that finds itself in this situation is like an animal with a tire around its neck, struggling to survive and unable to thrive. This mistake is pervasive, with more than half of the newly planted trees I come across having fallen victim. Making the effort to plant a tree at an optimal height will pay dividends for decades and in some cases centuries to come. Before planting a tree, inspect the root ball and “Find the flare.”
With balled-and-burlapped trees there is often a few inches of soil covering the root collar and in potted trees a fibrous layer of roots. Once the root collar is located, measure from the bottom of the root ball to the height of the root collar — dig the planting hole a bit shallower than this height. With balled-and-burlapped trees, avoid unraveling all the burlap until the tree is placed in the hole, all that’s needed is a small opening to find the root collar. Unfortunately, the only way to rectify this situation is to excavate and raise the tree. Digging soil away will only create a depression for water to pool which can lead to root rot. For larger trees, heavy equipment will be needed. For smaller trees, two people can dig around the root ball, loosen it up, tip the tree to one side, throw soil under the raised side of the root ball, then tip the tree to the opposite side and throw soil under that raised side, and repeat this back and fourth rock-and-fill approach until the tree is at the desired height. There is a saying that goes something like, “Plant it too low, it’ll never grow. Plant it too high, it might dry. Plant it just right, watch it take flight.”
A second all too common mistake is over-mulching. No more than two to four inches of mulch is necessary to retain some moisture in the ground and provide nutrients while still allowing adequate root respiration and for rainwater to reach the ground. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) A300 Part 2 – 17.4.5 states “Mulch shall not be placed against tree trunks or cover root flares.” Say no to “mulch volcanoes.”
The third mistake to avoid is lacerating the trunk of the tree with a string trimmer, particularly young trees, as this can lead to shock and wounds susceptible to infection.
Please help spread the word, the trees are crying for help.