Best advice for a struggling tree.

tennarbor

tennarbor

Location
Smoky Mountains
A customer called me to a new building site the other day and asked if I could help him to save a few trees. His builder had compacted about 60-70 percent of the soil around a large Red Oak he is wanting to keep. The tree has already begun to show signs of stress and I won't be able to bring in the Air Knife until late next week. I was wondering if anyone has used a fertilizer in a similar situation that might help this tree through. My plan right now is to rework the soil with the Air knife and introduce organic material along with some "Vertimulch".
 
Compaction of soil eliminates pore space resulting in oxygen flux into the soil slowing.

Immediate action to take is the use of a soil needle (such as a ross root feeder or a deep-root fertilizing tip) and inject oxygenated water into the soil. If you can test your municipal water with a dissolved oxygen meter you will know exactly what you are injecting, otherwise use a deep-root feeding system to agitate the water.

I think that the air-spade, or air-knife, is one step. Introduction of as much organic matter as possible is next, and kick start the growth of microbial life. If you are in an area with earthworms then introduce them. I have never managed to do it but the introduction of terrestial ants is likely the best single way to aerate soils over the long term.
 
I agree, fertilization is generally a waste of time biologically (thought it certainly sounds good and helps the wallet).

I think that it is important to understand what the compaction has done and what needs to be done to correct the situation. Nitrogen is usually not lacking in urban soils; oxygen and organic matter are first things to deal with then the microbiology can be built and hopefully become self-sustaining.
 
Thanks guys,

I was looking into the PHC vertimulch product because it is not labeled as a fertilizer and according to the label only replaces beneficial bacteria and mycorrhizal fungi. It shows no nitrogen content. I would do a soil analysis before fertilizing. Pore space is definitely the main issue and I feel that the air knife will do the trick. The issue is time now since I was brought in late. The builder is not done with the area yet and feels that since he hasn't taken a huge hunk out of the trunks, he has saved the trees even though several have already died and this one is declining. I am going to offer to vertical mulch the area until I can completely re-work the site.
 
I very much doubt that fertilizers will be an issue. A simple quick test is to look for yellow/orange lichens on the trees' trunk. Species such as caloplaca, xanthoria (inc. xanthomendoza), and candlelaria are good indicators of lots of nitrogen; some blue-grey species are also nitrgen pigs but not as easy to identify.

Compaction and subsequent airspading will destroy soil structure and pore space. Yes airspading destroys structure. Soil strucutre is largely dependent upon soil particle size and the workings of microbiologicals (oh and time). Mycorhyzzial fungi produce substances (such as glomulin) that will help to create soil structure and pore space. I think a great fallicy though is that arbrosits need to do expensives innoculations of micros. Apply organic matter and they will come (they are likely already there but are struggling just as the trees are).

A simple mycorhyzzial innoculation for oaks is to collect ripe Giant Puffballs and use the spores as innoculants. I am sure you can also find the fruiting bodies of other beneficial fungi. A couple of buckets of healthy soil will also be great innoculants for bacteria, algae and blue-green algae etc.

Vetical mulching will produce some benefit but I bet not as much as getting out today with a soil needle and some nice oxygen rich water.
 
A good stainless steel needle with a valve and a splash plat is great, should last 10+ years. Make sure you weld the tip on.

Rittenhouse (amongst others has a selection). Check out the top two items on this page http://www.rittenhouse.ca/asp/Menu.asp?MID=159

The guages are great for checking volume injected but they do break.

YOu might also consider injecting a fish/kelp product to help the soil microbes.
 
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