When the grade around an established tree is being raised, careful consideration should be given to methods of preventing injury to the tree before the fill is made rather than attempting to take corrective measures after the damage has been done.
While the initial cost may be high, preventing damage is always cheaper and more effective than attempting to correct the situation after the damage has been done. Several important factors should be considered in attempting to determine whether the cost of saving the tree is worth the effort and expense of making the installations necessary to prevent or reduce extent of injury. Density of Tree Population. Where trees are scarce, any attempt to save one or two sound trees is usually worthwhile.
If there are numerous trees on the property, the property owner may not feel that the cost to save one or two in the immediate construction site is justified.
Species and Variety. Some of the fast-growing, short-lived trees may not be worth the cost of trying to save them. But a good healthy tree that is mature or adapted to the area, with a long life expectancy, is difficult to replace. For such trees, the expense of providing the necessary protection can frequently be justified.
Age and Vigor of Existing Trees. The condition of the tree is an important factor in determining its worth. If it has a large cavity, has been severely damaged by lightning or storm, or has lived out a normal life span, it is difficult to justify the expense and labor necessary to save the trees.
This is especially true if there is danger of losing it to other causes. But a young, vigorous tree, if attractive and well placed, would be valuable enough to save. All vegetation should be removed, including sod and underbrush beneath the branch spread of the tree. Organic matter, as it decomposes beneath a soil fill, can create noxious gases detrimental to the tree roots. The top 3 to 6 inches of the soil surface should be cultivated or broken up carefully so as to disturb the least possible amount of roots.
This treatment allows better contact with the fill soil and prevents a sharp line of demarcation between the existing soil surface and the fill. As a retainer around the trunk, an open-joint wall of shell, rock, masonry or brick in a circle around the tree trunk should be constructed with at least 1 to 2 feet between the trunk and the wall.
The wall should be as high as the top of the new grade. The completed opening is commonly referred to as a tree well. Email questions to gnogardening agcenter. Follow his stories at www. Edit Close. Toggle navigation. Purchases made via links on our site may earn us an affiliate commission.
But, a shorter, little less-obvious eyesore remains. The stump. When a tree is removed there is always that small portion that remains connected to roots and extends deep into the soil. And removing the stump is much more complicated than removing the trunk and limbs. For stump removal, there are some options. Grinding it down or digging it up will remove the last remnants of the tree from the soil.
But there is also an option to just bury the stump. When a tree stump is buried, the wood will continue to decompose. The slow deterioration of wood within the soil causes changes to the surrounding soil.
Over time, these changes can play a significant role--especially to the soil that is directly above the buried stump. Piling mulch up against a tree can cause the bark to decay, opening the door to disease. Mulch, especially the type that's composed of particles, encourages a phenomenon called "stem girdling root. Too much mulch interferes with rainfall, potentially depriving the tree's roots of water.
It also interferes with the oxygen flow necessary for healthy roots, according to David R. Jackson of Penn State Extension. Too much mulch can keep the base of the trunk wet, rendering the phloem, or inner bark, incapable of providing the nutrients necessary for the roots and tree to thrive.
Excess moisture also creates ideal conditions for disease to flourish and for moisture-loving insects like termites and carpenter ants to thrive.
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