Here is what a proper “Root Flare” should look like. Though this is obviously an older tree, a good flare should be visible on young trees as well. The photos below illustrate typical scenarios where there are no visible root flares. The first set shows the sequence of decline in trees that have had excessive mulch and/or soil around the trunk for many years. The first tree exhibits early fall coloration over a portion of the canopy. By the time a tree shows this symptom, successful surgery may become questionable. Excavation and stem-girdling root removal were performed on the middle tree in the series, in 2006. The mass of girdling roots was severe, and, as of summer of 2009, the tree is continuing to decline. It’s looking less likely that it will ever recover.
The best advice is to excavate and remove girdling roots EARLY, while the tree is young. Depending on the variety of tree, after about 10 to 15 years in the ground, removal becomes risky. Also, depending on how advanced the girdling roots are, the tree may experience some shock from the surgery, and show further decline for one or two years, before improvement becomes visible. As the third tree indicates, waiting too long can get to a point of no return.
The next set of photos show how the Air Knife is used to excavate around a trunk. After excavation (a different tree), the center photo reveals several roots wrapping around the trunk. One root is visibly digging into the bark. This cuts off the tree’s “plumbing”, restricting flow of water and nutrients, eventually killing the tree. The third photo is of the same tree after stem-girdling roots have been removed.
Our commitment at Organic Air is to continually look for additional ways to keep our customers informed, and educated about tree health.
