Protecting Your Investment Using an Air Spade

An Air Spade can correct improperly planted trees. Improper planting of trees is one of the largest reasons for the decline and eventual premature death of many tree species in the built environment. When a tree’s root ball is planted too deep and excess soil and/or mulch is placed on top the tree will become susceptible to canker, fungal infestations, various diseases and stunting of growth.

While it may be hard to tell if your trees have been planted improperly, the Certified Arborists at TLC have become all too familiar with having to fix mistakes when it comes to planting trees. As part of an ISA Certified Arborist tree evaluation, we will be able to identify if your trees have been planted improperly along with any other issues that are of concern and recommend the proper maintenance option.

Healthy Root Flare = Healthy Tree

The issues that arise from being planted too deeply start from the bark and root system being unable to “breath” properly.  If the roots are deprived of oxygen, the anerobic environment can lead to root rot and decay, immediately affecting the health of the tree. If untreated, the tree roots start to girdle the base of tree, effectively strangling the tree. An easily identifiable feature of the tree that lets you know if your tree is planted at the correct height is identifying the root flare.

Expert Tree Care Service Fixing an Improper Planting

What to do?

Fixing these issues on your own can be a tough task, especially if you have many trees. You can dig by hand with a trowel and try to be extremely careful not to damage the roots. Some use a gentle water flow but this becomes messy and can be rather inefficient. The best option is to consult a tree care professional and ISA Certified Arborist to use an air spade.

An air spade is a specialized tool that utilizes compressed air to remove excess dirt or vegetation. Essentially the air spade blasts away all non root material in a non-destructive method that safely removes damaging, suffocating material at the base of your trees. Air spades have become the preferred method as they are able to remove the buildup while not damaging even the smallest roots, making happy trees.

Contact the Professionals

If your trees are not looking as healthy as you think they should or simply aren’t growing as vigorously as you thought, the tree care experts at TLC can evaluate your trees to determine what the issues are that your trees could be facing and suggest the proper methods to get your tree back to looking its best.

TLC

(307) 732-3986