Urban Jungle  Trees/Turf Don't Mix  Trees & Construction  Before You Build  Post-Construction  Underground Utilities		Urban Jungle The urban landscape presents one of the harshest environments for trees and shrubs to grow in. Here are some of the threats to trees: Soil compaction and wounding during construction Root cutting during construction and utility installation Physical damage from lawn equipment like mowers and weed eaters Mal-pruning to accommodate structures and above ground utilities Over fertilization Change of grade and removal of top soil Chemical spills and burns Vehicle traffic and pollution Competition from grass for water and nutrients Rapid temperature fluctuations and extremes The three biggest problems facing trees and shrubs in the urban environment are soil compaction, competition with grass and extended drought. All three of these problems manifest themselves in the soil and challenge a tree's root system to provide adequate water, oxygen, and nutrient uptake to not only perform normal

	Did You Know? Grass and trees don't mix well. It may surprise you, but it's true!  About 90% of a tree's roots are in the upper 12 inches of soil.    Grass roots occupy this same area, but are concentrated near the soil surface.   Grass is the first to absorb rainwater and nutrients.    In a given soil volume, grass roots may occupy six times the surface area compared to tree roots.    In the forest, trees don't compete with grass.    Forest trees also don't suffer from compaction, a common problem where grass is allowed to grow below tree canopies.		physiological processes like respiration and growth, but to protect the tree from pathogens. The relationship between tree root systems and the characteristics of the soils in which they grow has a greater influence on tree health than any other single factor. It is no wonder that compaction has such a detrimental impact on root growth. By volume, ideal soils have around 50% pore space. This space is occupied by air (oxygen) and water. Soil compaction decreases pore space and thus the availability of air and water to tree roots. Trees and Turf Don't Mix Compaction and turf management go hand in hand. When grass is grown under trees, it invites traffic from pedestrians and lawn equipment. Over time, tree roots begin to surface because this is the only place they can get water and oxygen. Grass has to be cut. Too often, mowing and weed trimming activities inflict serious wounds to tree roots and tree trunks. Open wounds allow decay-causing organisms to enter the tree. These preventable practices may even lead to the premature failure or death of a tree. Competition for water and nutrients can compromise a tree's ability to thrive. Grass roots and 90% of a tree's roots occupy the same volume of soil. Yet, grass roots are the first to absorb water and nutrients. If you combine grass and compaction with extended drought, many trees suffer. Some trees will drop leaves and literally go dormant to survive drought. Others will become severely stressed and become vulnerable to a host of pathogens (insect and disease) waiting for an opportunity to overcome a tree's weakened defenses. One of the most effective and affordable actions you can take to abate this problem is to mulch your trees. Mulching trees properly will: Eliminate competition with grass for water and nutrients Reduce soil compaction Conserve soil moisture Protect your trees and shrubs against mowing equipment Moderate temperature extremes Amend soil as it breaks down Add landscaping potential Beautify your landscape Ask us about ways to enhance the beauty of your property through mulching in creative ways. Your trees will be glad you did it!   Trees and Construction Construction activities pose one of the biggest threats to trees. As developments push their way into the surrounding forests, vain attempts are made to protect the trees that surround new homes. The absence of a systematic approach to building with trees in mind is most attributable to ignorance of the values that are lost when trees are removed and damaged. Most developers lack information about how to save trees during construction. Often, the results of construction damage are not manifested until well after the project is completed. Tree death and decline become a costly problem for the homeowner. It is imperative that homeowners let the contractor know that protecting trees is just as important as the quality of the structure. Total Tree Health Care can work with you and your contractor to establish a pre-construction plan to protect your investment before, during and after construction. Call us at 540-552-3037 or email us before you build!   Before You Build There are many techniques that will help save trees during construction. However, this is only half of the equation. Communication between homeowner and architect, and homeowner and contractor are key to success. Total Tree Health Care can act as your arbiter to ensure that your wishes are respected. We will meet with the architect and contractor and make clear to them the measures we plan to take to protect your trees. In most cases, other parties are more than happy to have an arborist assume this responsibility and are willing to respect barriers and incorporate measures to ensure tree protection. One of the key steps to beginning the process is for Total Tree Health Care to walk the property with the owner to identify high value trees to be protected during construction. Based on the data we collect, we will develop a tree conservation plan that combines the location of trees, site improvements and prescriptions for each tree. This plan becomes part of the construction documents and must be respected by all who work on the site. Total Tree Health Care will monitor activities during the construction phase and make frequent visits to the site to ensure compliance with the conservation plan. Post-Construction If your trees have suffered construction damage it may not show up until several years afterward. Decline from construction damage is usually associated with damage to tree roots which manifests itself in the form of dead and dying branches at the top of the tree. Corrective measures may include: Bark tracing open trunk wounds caused by dozer activity Aeration and irrigation to alleviate the compacted soil Deadwood removal to promote healing and “clean up” the tree's appearance Fertilization to improve vigor Irrigation to reduce stress Mulch around trees or islands of trees to conserve soil moisture Vertimulching with biostimulants to relieve soil compaction Underground Utility Installation Root damage is preventable by implementing simple steps: If roots must be cut, make clean cuts to promote quick healing. Hand digging around roots greater than 2 in. diameter will significantly reduce the impact on your tree. When possible, have the utility operator drill beneath the trees roots instead of cutting them. Never allow trenching to occur any closer to the tree than one foot per inch of trunk diameter.
	Surprisingly, many contractors save trees that should have been removed and remove high value trees that should have been saved. This step should be determined from the outset to avoid problems down the road.

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Total Tree Health Care • 486 Lovely Mount Drive • Radford, VA 24141-5920 • 540-552-3037 • treehelp@msn.com