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Written by Anonym
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Monday, 05 October 2009 18:54 |
We spent several hours today trying to save a handful of Live Oak trees that were planted on a site about 8 months ago by another landscaper. All of the trees were planted too deeply, some 6-8", one was over 15" too deep. It's very important to plant (most) hardwood trees so that the topmost root (the crown root, or root flare) is even with the soil line. These trees were beginning to show signs of decline already, and would most likely have died in a few years. The wost one may still die, as it looks to be diseased already. It should really be redug and lifted up, but it's up to the home owner if that is done or not.
So... when in doubt, don't use a backhoe to dig your tree holes, it usually over digs the hole, and leaves a soft, unstable bottom that will settle over time, causing the tree to sink. If you do overdig, backfill and tamp down the soil firmly before placing the tree. Planting high is usually easier to remedy than planting too deeply.
Note the Lichens, and the soil line. These lichens wouldn't be so prolific if the tree were growing well, as the expanding bark would flake them off.
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