Plant City Tree Health - Soil Compaction 2 to 5 years later

 Plant City trees don’t cough or sneeze. Their eyes don’t water and they never get fevers or complain of body aches. Even during the most chilling winters, trees don’t succumb to colds but they can get sick. Have you ever heard the phrase “ Let’s get to the root of the problem?” That is because there where most of the problems with trees normally start. It has to do with soil compaction while building your Plant City home. It all begins in the planning stage and if you are not involved you could regret it later. You buy property with a beautiful oak tree on it and place the house just right for the oak. Well if care isn’t taken while the house is being built you could regret it down the road two to five years later. The tree will not show signs of stress until the builder is finished and long gone. So take precautions and be involved from the beginning. Here is how compaction works. Roots density, mass, and activity vary with soil conditions. Roots utilize soil spaces for access to water and essential element resources, and they provide structural support. Roots follow pathways of interconnected soil pores. Pores can be the space between soil particles, between structural blocks, plates, grains, prisms, etc., along fracture lines, and through paths of decayed roots, animal diggings, etc. Soil compaction is one of the biggest problems a tree root can have. Water and oxygen become unavailable when the pore spaces are closed. Avoid large grade changes during construction, both cutting and filling. Roots require water, oxygen, minerals, support and warmth. These requirements are usually found in the upper few feet of soil. Roots normally reach out to the drip line of the tree however studies have shown that they can extend far beyond the drip line. Other studies have shown that the radius roots extend outward at a distance equal to the height of the tree. Roots need a minimum of 3 percent oxygen in the soil to stay alive. Twelve percent is needed for new roots to form. Fortunately, most normal soil is about 20 percent oxygen. However, if surface changes have occurred (new home built) and the soil becomes compacted and contains only 5 percent oxygen, the existing roots would survive but new roots could not grow and the tree could become stressed. So let’s get back to construction. A small trunk wound inflicted by heavy equipment during construction or at any time can cause major injury to the tree. Trees cannot replace injured tissue (heal) like animals, therefore injury permanently reduces the trees capacity to fight future stress caused by insects, disease or other factors. In addition, many roots are destroyed as heavy equipment operates over the root system. Even one pass over the root system with a bulldozer, earth scraper or other piece of heavy equipment can cause significant root damage. Do not allow equipment to operate within the dripline of trees which are to be saved. Sturdy fences or barriers should be constructed at the dripline to encourage enforcement of this guideline. Since many of the fine roots are located close to the surface of the soil, changing the soils grade by as little as 6 inches can cause extensive damage to the root system. Never remove soil from or add soil to the area within the dripline of a tree which is to be saved. Building a wall which is commonly called a “tree well” several feet from the trunk and adding more than 3 or 4 inches of soil to the area outside of the well can kill the tree. Construct the tree well at the dripline. Make sure the grade will have the water runoff away from the tree. If the tree survives the first 2 to 4 years following construction, it may still die from related injuries. Be involved from the beginning. Hold fast to the rules. Be good to your trees. The Florida Landscape Doctor - Plant City tree care.