Homeowners are continually surprised and well, saddened when I have to tell them the reason their tree is in bad shape is because of something they did that’s causing stress to their tree. Here are some examples:

Improper Planting Depth

When planting, position the top of the container tree or balled and burlapped tree higher than the existing soil level. About 2" higher is ideal. Dig the hole wider than the container, not deeper. Any loosened soil below the root ball will sink in time so backfilling the depth is NOT a good idea. Roots only grow 12” to 24” deep; they need room to grow horizontally. And planting too deep deprives the roots of necessary oxygen – which is a no, no.

Killing a Tree with Kindness

Killing a tree with kindness is pretty common, unfortunately. What I mean is if the leaves of the tree become droopy and discolored, the owner’s think – hmm, you must be thirsty! Keep in mind, it is possible to over-water your trees. What I do is stick a trowel in the soil and wiggle it back and forth about 6” down, to actually see (or feel) the moisture level. If it’s wet…don’t water. If it’s moist…most likely don’t water…if it’s dry…water.

Too Much Mulch

I wish I had a dime for every tree I found with mulch piled up around the trunk like a little volcano. This is bad for the tree. Why? The mulch keeps the trunk wet which promotes rot or decay. It invites little critters such as mice or insects into a haven of mulch while they munch on the trunk and roots. Too much mulch (anything over 4” high) actually changes the oxygen level to the root (yes, tree roots need oxygen just like we do), and the same for the moisture level. At Hoerr Nursery, we recommend keeping the mulch about 6” away from the trunk and use only 2-3” of thickness covering the ground out to the drip line of the tree (if possible). If you could ask the tree how much mulch to use, it would say: “I would like the whole yard covered, please.” Realistically, do what you can and go out as far as you can for the sake and health of the tree. Even a 4ft ring is better than none.

Tree Wrap

Tree wraps are only temporary. Trees trunks photosynthesize along with the leaves - so it’s important not to leave tree wrap on too long. We suggest just for the winter months when sun scald may occur during our cold, sunny days. The temperature on the shady side of the bark is a different temperature than the area that has been warmed up from the south west side. Once a cloud suddenly covers the warm rays and the freezing temperatures quickly chill the once warm part of the trunk, the sap inside explodes (sort of) and the tree gets what we call “frost crack.” Tree wraps help to stabilize the trunk temperature so for this reason, they work. They can be placed on the trunk in October or November and they should be removed in April. If you don’t remove the tree wrap, during the summer months, insects can damage the bark of the tree and you wouldn’t notice it until the wrap is removed – and then it’s too late…

A Very Important Highway

100% of the trunk is used to deliver water and nutrients to the leaves and food to the roots. It’s like a highway where the outer-most bark moves in the downward direction transporting food made from the leaves to the roots. A very important highway. A little farther under the bark is another highway that carries water with nutrients up the trunk from the roots. Another very important highway. Any injury to the trunk means the upward or downward flow is interrupted (sort of like construction work) and the flow gets diverted around the injured area, if possible. Any injury to the trunk can cause dieback to the top of the tree and possibly death over time. A wide ring of mulch helps prevent lawnmower or weed trimmer injury to the trunk. And, contrary to popular opinion….trees do not “heal” themselves. If it’s injured, it dies. It doesn’t come back or work the same again. Not like us when our cells regenerate. These cells die permanently. Think of the roots and the trunk as the lifeline to the tree. The carelessness with equipment is often overlooked because people think trees regenerate and they don’t.

Flower Beds

Lastly, don’t install a cute little flower bed under the canopy of an existing tree. Every root you cut or every inch of soil you add on top of the roots while planting those flowers will affect some part of the tree that it’s connected to. And it is connected to something. You’ve seen your neighbor do this and the tree looks fine. Unfortunately, trees can take several years to show damage that was done. Sometimes it can take up to 7 years for a tree to die from root damage. You won’t remember planting those flowers 7 years earlier. But you will wonder why the tree is not doing well now. This is the same danger from a patio or walk put anywhere near where the tree roots will be affected. Some trees are tougher than others, some not. Try to refrain from doing a lot of digging under the canopy of an existing tree.

The tree thanks you and so do I. :-)

--Marilyn