If trees could speak.... Secret #1

My Mom used to allude to the many hidden secrets of our local townfolks' personal lives by using the cliche "If trees could speak....". I am now older and have become a certified arborist through the ISA. I find the old cliche quite humorous these days because, honestly, if trees could speak they really wouldn't have any interest in telling anyone about your personal life.

They certainly would be more interested in telling you to get rid of that wire and rubber hose, you forgot to remove two years ago, which is now choking off its vascular flow. Or maybe they would tell you about the sprinkler head you have spraying directly on the trunk day after day after day, causing root fungus and rotten support wood.

I am starting this blog for the many homeowners who just don't realize how they are hurting the trees they love and have worked so hard to grow in their yards. Trees are one of the most valuable assets to a homeowners property. Yet many homeowners make simple mistakes that end up killing or shortening the lifespan of their trees significantly. If you're a tree hater, because your neighbor's tree is dropping leaves on your lawn and you have to pick them up every week, this blog is not for you. No Tree Haters Allowed HERE!

Secret #1

The number one killer of trees that I have come across time and time again, is over watering. I live in Los Angeles where every morning and evening you can see watersprinklers turning on throughout the city. Its great that people water their lawns and landscape, for without this water our dessert climate would dry up all our plants and we'd have dustbowls in our front yards. The issue I am concerned with is over watering of trees. Especially young trees and very mature trees.

Young trees when planted should be planted approximately 1/2 to 1 inch above the level of the surrounding soil. For the first few weeks a dirt ring can be used to water the tree but after the first growing season the ring should have already been raked away. Over time your new tree may sink lower and become close to level with the surrounding soil. But don't worry if it doesn't. It will be ok. As the tree matures you want the water to flow away from the trunk and NOT settle into a well around the trunk of the tree. *see gardener falacy #1 coming soon. It is too expensive and risky to try and dig up a tree that has been planted too deep, so keep it up above the surrounding soil level when you plant it.

At the very base of the trunk is the root crown of the tree. This area is dominated by support roots that grow stronger with "reaction wood" when the wind blows or when the weight of the tree puts stress on the root crown.
From these support roots come runner roots that spread out away from the tree radially, searching for water and nutrients.
Then Feeder roots grow from the runner roots and head toward the surface (Usually these feeder roots come up and compete with the roots of your grass and fight for nutrients, more on this later...) As a very loose guideline, you can say, a tree of a few years old or more seeks water and nutrients from its drip line (the Outermost reach of the branches) up to approximately 12 to 18 inches away from the trunk or root crown. The root crown, for the most part, does not absorb the water that settles in around it, especially when a tree is planted too deep.
In fact a root crown needs to be able to breath so dry soil is ok in and around the root crown. You can quickly drown a tree by allowing water to pool around the trunk.

Have you ever stuck a tooth pick in pudding. I have seen clients who unwittingly have over watered their trees to the point that the soil around the root crown is so loose the tree just falls over. The consistency of the soil is too fluid from over watering. They always ask, "Can't we just stand it back up?" Well no not really. I suppose if you had a crane and could keep the rest of the roots from ripping apart and breaking off in the process it might be possible but the costs are prohibitive and the chances of success are slim. Usually the tree can't re-establish a strong enough hold on the surrounding soil and just falls over again when it rains or a wind blows.

Overwatering of Mature trees in Southern California is another problem. Many of the mature trees in Southern California grew up and became acclimated to dry conditions. Then a huge developer came in and landscaped with sod and flowers and water sprinklers right up to the base of the tree. This creates a rapid onset of growth that is generally short lived and then the tree goes into decline. Oak trees are especially suceptible to to these situations. Once acclimated to the dessert it can't reacclimate itself the the lush tropical level of waterflow from a beautifully landscaped garden. The tree will quickly develop root fungus get moldy and go into decline.

Sprinkler heads spraying directly on tree trunks should be avoided as well. Over time the chemicals we use in our water supply and the constant bombarding of the tree with pressurized water rots the bark and protective layers of the tree and allows fungus and mold to begin eating away at the wood inside the tree. Next comes the termites and the ants so watch out.

Once the immune system in a tree is stressed it becomes very difficult to maintain its value to the homeowner. If you see moss growing in the soil or on the trunk of the tree chances are extremely high that you are over watering or watering incorrectly.