Photo: A lion tailed tree, Larry Figart
“Sometimes we take trees for granted. We see them as the pillars in our landscape and sometimes forget that they are living things that need the same conditions to live and thrive as our favorite flower, shrub or groundcover…
Often, we think because they are larger and live longer, they do not need as much care, or they are more tolerant of neglect. In some cases, this is true. A leaf disease that would doom our prized rose is barely a minor nuisance to a maple tree.
However, the origin of most landscape tree decline, and eventual death can be traced back to something that was done in the past (sometimes years) by someone not knowing that it would harm the tree. In the horticultural world, these practices that cause tree decline are called cultural causes and most of the time can be avoided.
Let’s explore some of the most common cultural decline causes and how to avoid them.
Giving trees enough space: I recently drove through a new subdivision. The developers had planted live oaks about 2 feet from the edge of the curb, in between the street and the sidewalk. I am sure the intention was that some day the trees would be part of a beautiful street tree canopy. It would have been better to plant the live oaks in the middle of the yard where they had plenty of space or plant a smaller tree in the space between the sidewalk and the street…
Planting too deep: The number one cause of tree decline for a young tree is the practice of planting too deep…
Not watering correctly after planting: Most newly planted trees do not get watered appropriately and take longer to become established in the landscape…
Over thinning: I often hear from homeowners that their arborist or tree trimmer wanted to thin out the center of the tree removing interior limbs and sprouts so that wind can go through the tree instead of against it. This is a common practice that sounds like a good idea but is actually very bad for trees. When a tree is pruned so that interior branches are removed it is called lion’s tailing…
Mulch volcanos: A 2-3-inch layer of mulch placed around the tree is one of the best things you can do to create a good rooting environment. However, it has become a common practice to pile the mulch up against the trunk in a layer several inches thick. The term for this is called a “mulch volcano” and it is harmful to the tree. It reduces the amount of oxygen that is available to the roots and promotes decay in the trunk by allowing the trunk to remain wetter longer…
If we treat them well, trees perform many valuable environmental services to our community. Eliminating the human caused problems that stress and weaken our urban trees will allow them to provide us with those services for a long time…”
— Larry Figart, Times-Union
More details and subjects are found in the entire article