Root Rescue: 7 Ways to Prevent Damage to Your Tree Root System in Edmonton
Due to the cold, long winter months that Edmonton is known for, residents take great pride in their lawns, plants and trees when spring and summer make their way through stubborn snow banks, and you want to ensure nothing damages these shrubs and copses that you’ve waited so many months to see bloom in all their wondrous glory.
An essential component of protecting your trees is ensuring your tree root systems remain healthy and intact. There are several culprits behind tree root damage, including construction, environmental stressors, biological factors such as infections and diseases, and structural issues.
It can be difficult to know where to begin when it comes to avoiding tree root damage. But, not to worry! This isn’t a journey you have to take all on your own. Instead, you can turn to our Edmonton arborists for help.
In this blog, we’ll explore the preventative measures you take to ensure your tree root systems are well-protected and tree root damage is avoided. So, without further ado, let’s jump right in!
1. Establish Tree Protection Zones
It’s important to establish and clearly mark a tree root protection zone around the tree. The ideal protection zone will depend on the diameter of the tree at breast height. 1 to 1.5 feet of root zone should be allowed for every inch of the diameter. Once the zone has been established, ensure construction work, machinery, foot traffic and play are kept outside of this zone for optimal protection, preventing root injury and soil compaction.
2. Avoid Soil Compaction
Heavy loads, vehicles and foot traffic can all contribute to soil compaction. When soil compaction occurs, it restricts oxygen and water access to your tree root systems. With reduced pore space, oxygen diffusion is limited and impedes proper water movement, creating waterlogging and stressing your roots, which results in tree root damage. Soil compaction can also decrease access to essential nutrients, water and minerals due to reduced root depth and density in the soil surface. Additionally, the risk of structural damage increases. With the shallow, malformed tree root systems that come hand in hand with compact soil, trees will find difficulty anchoring securely to the ground and may uproot during storms.
3. Install Physical Barriers
It’s important to install fencing or other protection barriers around the tree protection zone to avoid tree root damage. When barriers are in place, the top 18 inches, where the majority of your tree roots reside, will be efficiently protected. Barriers will also encourage deeper root growth and prevent girdling roots, which can strangle trees. Additionally, barriers promote sustainable growth. Allowing trees to thrive without removal provides ecological benefits, such as shade and carbon sequestration and mitigates the negative environmental impacts of tree loss.
4. Minimize Root Cutting and Excavation
Planning your home’s plumbing and infrastructure around root zones will help keep your roots healthy and thriving. If root cutting does need to occur, we suggest cutting them cleanly and asking an arborist about the tree health impacts of root cutting. Root cutting compromises your tree’s stability and its ability to anchor the tree into the ground, which will increase the risk of uprooting. This is especially true for larger roots with a diameter of over 2 inches—their removal can lead to a leaning tree. Root cutting can also reduce the need for water and nutrient absorption. Cutting roots can remove 25% of the tree root system, which can result in yellowing leaves, branch dieback and hindered growth. Significant cuts to a tree can even impair its ability to recover. Cuts can also make room for entry points for fungi and pests, and trees under stress will have a harder time fighting infestations.
5. Mulching Tree Roots
Applying mulch to your tree root system helps the root zone retain moisture and reduces the risk of soil compaction. Mulch reduces evaporation by 35%, so that even during droughts, roots will stay hydrated. When rainfall occurs, it also softens the impact and makes way for optimal water filtration. Mulch also acts as an insulator and will protect roots from heat and cold, avoiding tree root damage. This is especially true of organic mulches. Additionally, mulch helps with weed suppression, reducing growth by 40-80% by physically preventing seed germination.
6. Watering Tree Roots
Though it may seem simple enough, many homeowners forget their tree roots need watering, just like their blossoms and smaller plants. Deep watering (12-18 inches below the surface) at the base of the tree motivates roots to grow downward, which helps with anchoring and drought resistance. Additionally, watering your tree root system enhances nutrient uptake, reduces environmental stress, prevents shallow root issues, minimizes the risk of disease and conserves water.
7. Monitor Roots
Monitoring your roots is just as important as the preventative maintenance measures listed above. Check roots for any signs of girdling or disease and consult an arborist for tree health and root pruning tips, especially for mature trees.
Don’t Leave Your Tree Root Damage Unattended: Instead, Turn to Trust Tree Services in Edmonton!
Now that you know a little more about how to protect your tree’s root systems for healthy trees, you may want to enlist additional help from an Edmonton arborist. When you do, turn to Trusty Tree Services! Our arborists have years of experience in the field and the knowledge that accompanies it to ensure your trees are well protected and their healthy roots are maintained. Whether you need services for tree cabling and bracing, tree root fertilizing, tree pruning, or tree assessments, you can turn to our professional tree specialists to take care of it.
If you’d like to enlist our comprehensive services for quality tree care in Edmonton, simply contact us today at 780-860-5500 to book an appointment! And if you’d like to hear more about the work we’ve already performed, simply check out our 5-star reviews. You’ll see the difference we can make with just one visit.