Tree Vitality: Avoiding all the "Wrongs"

“For every tree killed by a bug, 10 more are killed by people.”
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If you spend time with arborists, you’re likely to hear some version of this phrase repeated, just based on their experience.  When Jeff mentioned it to me, I had a hard time believing it, so I asked him to give me some examples of the ‘wrongs’ he’s seen.

Wrong Tree:

Clearly, the temperature and weather where you live is going to determine what trees grow well in your area.  Trying to grow a palm tree in your yard here in Fort Wayne isn’t going to result in success even if you do every other thing right.  Nature just hasn’t designed a tropical tree to thrive here.  This is an exaggerated example, but you get the point.  White Birch and White Pines are also bad choices.  In fact, Jeff says that probably less than 5% of the White Pines in our area live longer than twenty years.

Wrong Location:

Many trees are doomed because the planting site will not support their growth.   We see so many trees that are planted too closely to houses.  The life of these beautiful trees is shortened because planters rarely think about a 20+ year old tree: 15-20 feet wide and 20-30 feet tall!  Trees are also planted right next to sidewalks and driveways: soon, these trees become hazards to traffic and obstacles to views.

We have seen thousands of trees that are planted in locations where the tree’s roots won’t have a future because the root zone is too small.  I was shocked when Jeff told me that a 20 inch tree needs about 1200 cubic feet of root zone!  Considering that a tree’s roots only sink about 12-18 inches below the soil, that’s a lot of horizontal space.

--on the left: This tree’s root extension has lifted the sidewalk tiles, creating a traffic obstacle. Trees need a lot more space for their roots than you’d think!

Wrong Soil:

Soil chemistry and physics compromise and kill so many trees.  Trees grow best in a soil with consistent fertility.  Fast-release fertilizers may cause growth spurts, but the tree then suffers when the soluble fertilizer is extinguished.
Likewise, a tree’s new root extension is not only a result of tree vitality, but also soil physics.  We have a lot of clay in our soil here, and that density controls the volume of the new roots… no matter the fertility.  Using amended soil will help in this area.

So.  What should you do to give your tree the best chance of long-term vitality?  Choose the right tree for Northern Indiana.  Make sure that it has plenty of space to “branch out” and plan for root expansion.  Dig a hole bigger than you’d think you need and fill with good soil.  Avoiding Jeff’s list of ‘wrongs’ will help your trees have a happy, healthy life so that you can enjoy them for decades to come!
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You can read some tree suggestions and other factors to consider here.

Rachel Judt has worked with TreeMasters, Inc. for more than 15 years.  She publishes the website, writes articles for the newsletters and blogs,  and translates Jeff's sciencey vocabulary to that of the common man. ​​

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