Module 5: Protecting Your Tree
What NOT to do to Your Tree
There are many activities that take place around trees that can potentially cause adverse impacts. These can include lawn renovation, installation of any underground utilities, including irrigation systems, constructing a new sidewalk, driveway, patio, or street, or even adding on another room to your home.
The oak tree in this picture (right) died because its root system was buried by
fill during construction. It cost a lot of money to have this tree removed,
and the new homeowners were left without a significant part of their landscape.
While there are many steps you can take to protect your tree from construction activities, the first step is learning how tree damage occurs when you have to work around them. Here are the most common mistakes people make when working around trees;
If you can work around your trees and successfully avoid these three adverse impacts, your tree should remain a healthy part of your landscape for years to come.• Trenching through the root zone – Tree roots need to be protected from damage from construction activities. Installing cable television wires or other underground utilities, sidewalk repair, curb construction, and other similar activities can have negative impacts on the root system. The result of trenching through a root system is a decline in the tree's ability to sustain itself.
• Paving too much of the tree's dripline – Tree roots need access to oxygen and water. If too much of the dripline (the area where the tree's crown extends outward from the trunk) is paved, the tree will suffer.
• Changing the grade – Because tree roots need oxygen, changing the grade, or ground level around a tree, is very detrimental since the compaction of added soil levels put the roots further from the surface. If you are re-grading a lawn or landscaped area, don't pile up excess soil around the tree.
