The impact of construction on your trees’ health

An often overlooked concern facing trees is the impact on them as we build, walk, and live around them. With a lot of new construction occurring in wooded areas with large mature trees, preserving the trees while building around them is becoming more important and is even a requirement in some cities.

While it is important to protect trees from broken branches and damaged bark, protecting the root system is even more critical in preserving longevity. Severing roots by soil excavation depletes the tree of fine absorbing roots which are responsible for water and nutrient uptake. Severing large anchoring roots can cause the tree to become unstable and more likely to fall down.

Preventing or minimizing soil compaction within the critical root zone is the key to minimize the impact of construction activities. The workers here did not take any precautions.

Soil compaction is often overlooked but is an important issue if you know one simple fact, roots do not just live in soil, they live in soil structure which is made up of soil particles and micro pore spaces. Driving heavy equipment back and forth and piling up soil and building supplies around trees will cause compaction. This can be life-threatening to a tree because it deprives their roots of oxygen and decreases the permeability and holding capacity of water, all of which trees need to survive.

Trees intolerant of soil compaction include oak, basswood/linden, sugar maple, paper birch and pine. Trees with slightly more tolerance of compaction include elm, hackberry, honeylocust and black walnut. Trees that show the most tolerance include ash, silver maple, spruce, river birch and boxelder.

Before beginning construction projects it is very important to consult with a tree care expert. Your builder or landscape architect may be an expert at building or designing, but may have limited tree care knowledge and it could cost you your valuable trees.

Here’s what we can do

Shadywood Tree Experts can help you preserve your trees. We can identify critical root zone areas and make recommendations to minimize damage. In addition, we can also provide a growth regulator application which reduces top canopy growth and increases root system growth, helping stressed trees recover from construction related damage. More information about plant growth regulators can be found here. https://www.shadywoodtreeexperts.com/blog/growth-regulator-to-promote-tree-health

Additional things you can do to maintain the health of your trees

Water trees regularly using a hose or lawn sprinkler for at least an hour every one to two weeks if there has not been adequate rainfall. Mulch root systems when possible, using natural wood chips to protect the trunk, condition and improve the soil, and to conserve soil moisture. If you see anything that doesn’t look right, have your trees inspected by one of Shadywood Tree Experts International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborists.