Guest Blogger Katy Krokower on a few reasons to appreciate trees…oh to have a chance to climb a tall, tall tree and find some peace there:
So, I missed the boat blogging about trees on Climate Change Day but hey, there’s really no time like the present to remind you what they are doing for you as you go about your busy day: Retaining water, converting carbon dioxide, lowering your heating and cooling bills – all this and more, while you’re busy sucking up your morning coffee! (more…)
Every successful gardener knows that if you haven’t killed something in the garden, you aren’t really gardening.
Mined Rainbow Chard Leaves
And, we all know that every gardening year is different. We strive to put the right plant in the right place, rotate our crops, test and amend our soil, prune properly, find balance managing our flora and fauna pests, yet among our victories come failures. From our failures, we learn and become better gardeners. Each year something in my garden inevitably goes wrong and becomes a learning experience. It may be the result of something I did (or didn’t do) or it may just be the result of nature being unpredictable. Regardless, failures are humbling and they help me grow. Admitting them isn’t always easy, but here goes. Maybe they’ll help you as well.
Barbara from Lancaster, CA writes:
“We just purchased a house with a beautiful, very old birch (weeping) tree in the front yard. A large area around the tree is raised due to roots and many years of growing. We\’d like to keep the tree as it is huge. It was probably planted when the house was built. That was 1965. We need to roto-till the entire yard to put down a new lawn. What should we do about the raised tree area? We could put a large, very large circular brick wall around it but then could we put dirt over the roots near the surface to plant some small shrubs, flowers? What to do, what to do?”
Hi Barbara, Katy here,
How great is is that you have purchased a piece of history and are interested in preserving it!?!
I’m not sure why you are rototilling to make a new lawn- perhaps drainage problems you’re trying to remedy? In any event, keep that rototiller out of the “drip line” of the tree. The drip line is area directly located under the outer circumference of the tree branches. This is where the tiny rootlets are located that take up water and nutrients for the tree. A tree can be significantly and sometimes unpredictably damaged once these roots have been disturbed. Furthermore, knowing how a specific roots connect to the upper parts of a tree is little understood – you might end up damaging an area connected to a branch that you’d really like to save.
Building a retaining wall to with the intention to add a bunch of new soil is also isn’t great for a tree. However, covering the surface roots with 2″ to 4″ of compost or mulch will help keep roots cooler and reduce the effect of soil compaction. Too much more soil than that can actually cause the roots to smother. Your surface roots might also be pointing to your type of soil – clayey? Not well drained? The tree might just be trying to get it’s light and air from a easier place than in heavy compacted or dense dirt.
People do install plants under trees and getting the right plant for the right place will help them succeed. But often one or the other wins, no matter how much love is given. If you do plant it is most important to take care not to water the tree trunk as you’re watering the new plants. A constantly wet trunk can becomes a thriving fungus community fast.
Good luck!
_______
Barbara, thanks for writing in. Robin here. I just had to chime in on this as well. So often clients believe rototilling is the answer to renovating a lawn space, when often it isn’t necessary. You may just need to have it thatched, aerated, limed, composted, seeded and then properly mowed and watered. Tearing all of it out and starting over doesn’t always solve on-going lawn issues. But, as Katy hinted at, we aren’t quite sure why you’re planning to till, so it’s difficult for us to know for certain. If you do till in that area and you hit some bigger roots that have expanded out of the “zone” Katy indicated, be sure to stop the tiller and use a sterile saw to cut the root clean on the side that connects it to the tree. This will help the tree help itself in the long run. If you leave the roots torn up, it may be harder for the tree to recover.
Katy also hinted at knowing your soil. I highly recommend you order a soil test to know what kind of soil you’re working with, what pH you have and what its nutrient situation is. This will help you choose the right course of action for preparing your soil to keep both your lawn and your trees (and anything else) happy. University of Massachusetts at Amherst has a soil testing lab that is relatively inexpensive and very comprehensive. You’ll find details here.
Thanks for writing in and have fun in the garden.
This just in from Guest Blogger & ISA Certified Arborist, Katy Krokower:
Katy Krokower: Certified Arborist
I’m pleased to announce that I’ll have a small booth for my business at the upcoming Bainbridge Island Home and Garden show. Yep, I’ll be sitting there all day eager to give advice, talk trees or say just hello. Did I mention there will be free trees??
If you know anyone who has a burning tree question and would like it answered as best I can for *free* and in person please send them along to the show.
Late last year, I shared with garden help readers that the Seattle Street Tree Ordinance was up for review. Recently, I received the an update from Seattle City Councilperson Jean Godden (mailto: Jean.Godden@seattle.gov). Here’s what Jean had to say:
“…I am pleased to report that the council voted 8-1 in favor of the Interim Tree Protections Proposal. I was happy to support this proposal and will work hard to see that its intended goal, to preserve and enhance the city’s tree canopy, is met.
As you may know, this bill limits tree removal to no more than three trees of 6 inches or greater in diameter per lot in any one year period on single-family zoned lots that are at least 5,000 square feet, or on any sized lot in a lowrise, midrise or commercial zone. It also prohibits the removal of exceptional trees. Routine pruning of trees that are hazardous or whose removal is required for construction of anew structure under an approved building or grading permit are exempt from the new limits.
The new law also expands the definition of “exceptional tree” to include the phrase “group of trees”; establishes specific rules and regulations concerning how violations of the tree ordinance will be handled; establishes a formalized process for review and potential appeal of any violation, and increases the minimum penalty for violations from $500 to $5,000….My Regards, Jean…”
Additional Reading:
Further information on street tree permitting
Street Tree Planting Procedure Information
New Guest Blogger Katy Krokower, a certified risk assessment arborist, submits her first Garden Help article. I’m thrilled that Katy will be offering her expert observations, opinions and ponderings to the Garden Help Community. – Thanks Katy! Robin
…and now Katy’s post…
Katy Touring Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island, WA
Ok, I admit it. I’m a little afraid of my trees when it’s windy. My name is Katy Krokower and I’m a consulting arborist. A large part of my job involves putting client’s fears to rest while educating about proper tree care. The point of hiring someone like me is to help you on your way putting to rest your concerns about trees. So, if I’m a “professional” why am I still nervous?
No matter how many assessments I can give my trees (mine= once a day in unusually windy weather) conditions can always change, even day to day. Plus, add the concept of “accumulated stress” into the mix and things get even more interesting. Tree stresses may be very dramatic and obvious or in many cases not easily observed or recognized. Obvious signs of damage may include trunk or storm damage while stresses from grade changes, soil compaction or pollution are not very visible. Since trees have an accumulated growth habit, they often do not display immediate responses to stress. The phenomenon of accumulated stress is why it can be difficult to determine how long a stressed tree has to live.
A good example of this concept is a homeowner living in a brand new subdivision carved out from a forest remnant noticing that their trees are “suddenly dying”. Especially if the trees are located near the new home, it is often a sad but sure bet that all summer a piece of heavy machinery parked under that tree for shade all summer causing the soil to become compacted. Of course the he signs and symptoms of stress don’t usually show up until the housing is complete and the development crew has long gone.
However, shoving uncertainty aside I will stress again that the point of my whole career is to aleve fear of trees through education and giving sound advice. Tree risk assessment involves inspecting every facet of a tree from root to shoot. A consultant who has ISA, ASCA or TRACE training is at least minimally qualified to be able to make a reasonable judgment of the hazards your tree might have has. We use cutting edge information to make an assessment in a professional manner. Just because I’m experimenting in my own yard with my own trees doesn’t mean I’ll do the same to yours!
Concerned about your trees and want to learn more about Katy or contact her? Go here for more info. on Katy Krokower and Gardenvision.net
Over the weekend my husband walked past the Stewartia I’ve been mourning, and the homeowner was in the garden. He bravely asked why they had cut down the tree. The answer, “It was getting too big.” I’m still a bit suspicious about that answer, but I do recognize that Stewartia get quite large and this tree was planted pretty darn close to the house. Still…hmmm…
As well, he told my husband that he had tried to get someone to dig the tree out for him, but the tree services he’d spoken to did not think they could remove it by hand. And, they weren’t able to get their tree spades into the tree without damaging the other trees between the street and the tree to be removed. Plus, they were concerned about damaging the retaining wall between the house and the sidewalk during any removal. I’m sad about that answer too.
Arbutus unedo Blooming in November
I’ve dug out and successfully moved some smaller, but established trees by hand in my time. I will readily admit this tree far exceeded any tree I’ve ever removed through hand digging and hauling. However, given the chance, I would have tried. Even if I’d failed and the tree didn’t make it, I’d have only lost an afternoon (or two) with friends trying. Clearly, this “too big” tree was going to be removed one way or the other.
Now I’m curious to see what happens when the five Arbutus unedo they planted 18″ on center start to mature. At least they’re close to the curb and a tree spade might be able to take them out “when they get too big”. Then again, they’re crammed in between two maturing Katsuras, so some poor plant is going to pay when the poorly planned over planted area out grows the space. I guess a few more specimens will eventually bite the dust — unless this area gets corrected soon, while the Arbutus are still young.
More on moving big trees and chopping down this specimen here:
I just read that an Asian Longhorn Beetle infestation has erupted in New England. I also learned from this article that once the eggs hatch in trees there’s nothing to eradicate them. The pest has only been in the Eastern U.S. for about 10 years now, and there are no known natural predators or good methods. Once these guys go to town, huge swaths of trees will be destroyed. This means fall leaf displays will be reduced and maple syrup prices may skyrocket. But, more importantly than losing our visual and tastebud pleasures, we will be losing trees.
Do I have a solution? Unfortunately, no. I do suggest that vigilance is important. Watch for the insects in your area. Take care transporting fresh wood products from area to area — like wood chips for mulch and firewood. If you do find an infestation, report it to help track the problem and to learn how to best control it. You may not save the infested tree, but by managing the wood from it, you may save others.
When I was a kid in rural Virginia, our last family homestead went under attack in the 1980s by gypsy moths. Huge, old oaks that created shade for us and habitat for adorable tree frogs (among other flora and fauna) were lost to the infestation. The forest is slowly coming back, but the oaks are gone for good. I can only hope through vigilance and proper management other forests may not be lost to similar invasive pests.
Over the last year I’ve noticed a significant number of Douglas Fir trees (Pseudotsuga menziesii) declining rapidly in my neighborhood. They are showing signs of apical dieback, which rapidly progresses from the tip of the tree downward. All of the trees that I am noticing are
Douglas Fir Showing Apical Dieback
Since I cannot gather complete information, I really cannot diagnose or ask any others to give a complete diagnosis of what is happening. However, I did poll a few very credibly arborists based on the information I know about the trees. Some of the thoughts that came back include:
So what can be done?
If you have a Douglas Fir (or other tree) that is showing signs of decline, I suggest having them evaluated by a certified arborist as soon as possible. When trees begin showing signs of decline, they may be significantly compromised in their interior wood and/or in their root systems. Strong winds, ice, heavy rains, drought, snow, insect or other pest infestations, and a host of other factors can cause these trees to decline beyond saving. And, sometimes, it means they are a hazard.
If you would like help determining how to manage a tree issue of your own, please contact me for additional assistance.
In the meantime, I will continue to monitor the trees in my neighborhood. If an opportunity arises to speak with the property owners, I may be able to gather more information to help save the trees. It is very sad to watch these large beauties, which are infrequent in this neighborhood, die.
Read more about this tree here – a new post added February 2009.
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