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| Oleksak: Trees need proper care to be landscape asset |
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Trees are an important asset in the home landscape. With the proper selection, planting and aftercare, trees can help save on energy costs to the home by cooling in the summer, add value to the home and provide an attractive appearance. Though insects and diseases may be a problem from time to time, some of the greatest trials inflicted upon trees come from people. By far, it is the public’s lack of understanding of how trees grow and what happens beneath the soil in the root zone that leads to the early demise of trees in the landscape.
Improper planting
Trees require water, nutrients and oxygen in their root zone to thrive. Any practices that allow too much or too little of these critical factors can kill a tree. The planting hole should be approximately twice as wide as the root ball of the transplanted tree and generously amended with organic matter. Some of the original topsoil should be returned to the hole to provide the tree stability. The tree should be planted at grade or slightly above to compensate for sinking upon establishment. Never plant the tree below grade since this may cause water to pool around the base and contribute to crown and root rots. Trees should be watered immediately during planting and provided with an inch of water every seven to 10 days. Monitor the watering needs of a tree for the first two years. Once the root system becomes established, the tree will be better able to withstand droughty periods in the future. Many good-intentioned efforts to reforest towns have failed miserably because the emphasis was placed on tree selection and planting and little attention was paid to watering and proper aftercare in the early years of establishment.
Preventing damage
Following planting, trees must be protected from damage to their trunk, canopy and roots. Newly-planted trees may be staked on windy or hilly sites, but the stakes should be removed after one or two years. Staked trees that have been neglected may suffer bark damage and girdling from the supporting wires. In areas where deer populations are high, it is wise to provide tree guards around the trunks of newly-planted trees to prevent damage from deer rubbing the bark. Fencing may also be required to deter browsing.
Construction damage is an often overlooked assault to trees in the home landscape. Its long-term damage can be slow and silent. Care should be taken during construction jobs to avoid cutting the roots for the addition of hardscape features. The negative effects may not be seen immediately, but trees with severed roots may eventually thin and decline in the years following construction. Thought should also be given to the staging of the job site so that brick, stone and other heavy materials are not placed at the base of trees. This practice contributes to soil compaction and a decrease in oxygen in the tree root zone.
The misuse of bark mulch in the home landscape is another common contributor to poor tree health. When properly applied, bark mulch is used to help moderate soil temperature, maintain soil moisture, prevent weed growth and provide an attractive look. However, the amount of mulch and the methods of application are often more injurious to trees than they are beneficial. Only one to three inches of mulch should be used around trees (the lesser amount should be used on poorly drained sites). The mulch should never be piled around the base of the tree since this practice causes the bark to remain wet. The wet bark is susceptible to diseases caused by fungal organisms. Once infected, the damage is irreversible and sometime fatal. Like soil compaction, over-mulching can lead to a depletion of oxygen for the tree. In extreme cases mulch piles may generate heat as they biodegrade and damage the tender growth layer within the tree trunk.
For more information about tree care, call Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Sussex County at (973) 948-3040 and request Fact Sheet 122 “Tree Problems Caused by People in the Suburban Landscape” and Fact Sheet 099 “Problems with Over-Mulching Trees and Shrubs.”
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Brian Oleksak is the Horticultural Program associate for Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Sussex County.
Created: 10/17/2009 | Updated: 10/17/2009
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