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| As
careful as you are, sometimes trees get damaged. Whether it’s a tough
winter ice storm, a strong wind storm in the summer, or construction damage,
it’s important to know how to care for your damaged tree. |
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| Avoiding
Tree Damage During Construction |
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As
cities and suburbs expand, wooded lands are being developed into commercial
and residential sites. Wooded properties can be worth as much as 20%
more than those without trees, and people value the opportunity to
live among trees. Unfortunately, the processes involved with construction
can be deadly to the nearby trees.
Unless the damage is extreme, the trees may not die immediately, but
could decline over several years, so it might not be evident that
construction damaged the tree. It is possible to preserve trees on
building sites if the right measures are taken. One way to do avoid
damage is to hire a professional arborist during the planning stage.
An arborist can work with the builder to protect the trees throughout
each construction phase. |
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| Treatment
of Trees Damaged by Construction |
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The
construction process can be devastating to surrounding trees if no
measures have been taken to protect them. Visible injuries such as
broken branches and wounds to tree trunks are only the beginning.
It is the damage to the root systems that often result in tree loss.
The roots of a tree will extend far from the trunk
and will
be found mostly in the upper 6 to 10 inches of soil. |
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Trees
can be preserved if the appropriate measures are taken soon enough.
Unfortunately, it is usually when the first signs of decline appear
that help is sought. There are some remedial treatments that may save
some construction-damaged trees, but immediate implementation is critical.
If you have trees that have been affected by recent construction,
consult a professional arborist promptly. Your arborist can assess
each tree for viability and potential hazards, and recommend treatments.
The arborist will most commonly begin with a visual inspection or
use instruments to determine the measure of decay that has occurred.
Depending on the ailment, treatment could involve repairing bark or
trunk wounds, treating crown injuries, administering proper irrigation
techniques, or using mulch to enhance root growth. |
Less damage is done to tree roots if utilities
are
tunnelled under a tree rather than across the roots |
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| To
read more about tree repair,click
here. |
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| For
a more detailed treatment of how to protect trees during construction,
click
here. |
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| For
information on how to handle ice damaged trees, click
here. |
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| For
storm damaged trees,
go here. |
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| Some
of the information on this page was provided by the
International Society of Arboriculture. Excerpts used with permission. |
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