Root Collar Excavation

Holy crap. That's looks bad. Did you use an air spade? I only have hand tools. I did this a couple of times at a place I used to work, never saw one that bad or like the one I did today.
 
To me those look pretty straight forward.

I hate the ones that look like this

dc7a6ec7b19190a58a3594e4db949eb5.jpg


"Kiss My Axe"
Associate degree in forestry from PSU Mont Alto
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Owner/operator of Climb High Tree Service established in 2002
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That's in my back yard, just hand tools and hose on jet. Not so many roots, but they are big so I'm kind of at a loss of how to proceed now that I know. On the other side of the tree I just found a third girdler. Yikes. Never done this before but very interested and now invested
 
84.4.1 Roots that encircle or contact (girdle) the trunk or a buttress root should be considered for redirecting or pruning.
***This next one's really important. A garden hose works well for this. You've GOT to find the origin before even planning a cut, so you know why you are cutting.**
84.4.2 Girdling roots should be exposed before pruning cuts are planned or made.

84.4.3 (Girdling roots that provide more benefit than damage should be retained.)

84.4.4 Roots that cross other roots outside the root crown should be retained.

84.4.5 (Avoid damage to the trunk and buttress roots beyond the scope of the work)." **Loppers and chisels work well for this.**

84.4.6 If more than one large girdling root is present, root pruning over time should be considered."
 
guymayor said:
84.4.6 If more than one large girdling root is present, root pruning over time should be considered."
Click to expand...
That was the decision I made today. I cut one root that was small and grown in pretty deep to the trunk. I figured that would help a bit and not shock the tree too much.
 
I think I could get a clean cut on one, but the other two it seems to me, due to size mainly, I might be better off trying to get them to fuze like Thomas suggested, bark removal. Seem very large in regards to trunk size.
Tree is very healthy and vigorous now, above ground, but I can imagine what 20 more years of root and trunk diameter increase and total lack of root flare could do to my most special tree!
 
JontreeHI said:
Awesome Levi! I've got some too, same result. Over my head.

View attachment 33098 View attachment 33099 View attachment 33100
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Third photo, looks like the girdling root in the right also leads off radially. Can never tell everything from a photo, but based on what I see, I would start with the one on the right, but try to retain the radial portion of it. Also looks like you could go deeper?

Its so nice to get to em when they're young, especially a new planting. Like training structure in a crown, same idea.
 
Thanks for the tip Eric, that's the one I was optimistic on. I see that reduction you're talking about, I will shoot for that. I definitely think I need to go deeper, but as dry as this summer has been, it's slow going with a trowel and hose. Really interesting though.

Does it make a difference that this tree is not super young? Norway maple 24 in dbh, what, 30 years old? 50? Pretty open grown.
 
would you guys consider, in a case like climbhightree has shown, wokring a section one year and maybe dealing with rest the following year? i cut i think 4 major girdling roots on a rough 12-13" crimson king maple at my house last year. the year following, this year, has been a horrible growth season with minimal rain in the spring thru the summer. i havent been able to water it as much as i think it has needed. the specific situation isnt too bad, but i imagine if there had been more girdling roots and i had dealt with them all at once, it may have had a way worse effect considering the weather during this year.
does my thinking make sense? the tree is it good health. i dont say really good health because spring '14 and '13 it got hit hard by defoliating caterpillars
 
JontreeHI said:
Thanks for the tip Eric, that's the one I was optimistic on. I see that reduction you're talking about, I will shoot for that. I definitely think I need to go deeper, but as dry as this summer has been, it's slow going with a trowel and hose. Really interesting though.

Does it make a difference that this tree is not super young? Norway maple 24 in dbh, what, 30 years old? 50? Pretty open grown.
Click to expand...
It's actually more and more important to get at these things sooner rather than later, as with most tree issues. The consideration is that older plants don't typically respond well to sudden, large scale changes to their environment. Perhaps with your case, make gradual changes over time, and on a priority basis.

Root loss would have to be evaluated when considering cutting out any girdling roots. If you can estimate soil volume around the plant, you may be able to determine where certain roots lead, and how much may be lost when pruning.

One thing Maples tend to do is create new root growth at 90 degrees to any cut. This was explained to me by a very knowledgable arborist in my area. He strongly believes in working new Maple trees in bare root form because of this. Imagine a small 1" or 2" caliper maple being dug with a 24" root ball...if radial roots are severed, and new growth forms at 90 degrees to those cuts, when the tree reaches 24" caliper, it will already be making contact with its own buttress roots.

This made so much sense to me, and it's bolstered by the trunk condition of most Norway Maple trees in my area. They often look like phone poles stuck in the ground, rather than nice flare. Find a Sugar or Red that grew wild from seed (never dug up to transplant) and you'll more than likely see incredible flare.

By roughing it out and going as deep as you can, you'll only get a clearer picture of the overall root system. Maybe one side or one quadrant of the tree at a time?
 
CutHighnLetFly said:
would you guys consider, in a case like climbhightree has shown, wokring a section one year and maybe dealing with rest the following year? i cut i think 4 major girdling roots on a rough 12-13" crimson king maple at my house last year. the year following, this year, has been a horrible growth season with minimal rain in the spring thru the summer. i havent been able to water it as much as i think it has needed. the specific situation isnt too bad, but i imagine if there had been more girdling roots and i had dealt with them all at once, it may have had a way worse effect considering the weather during this year.
does my thinking make sense? the tree is it good health. i dont say really good health because spring '14 and '13 it got hit hard by defoliating caterpillars
Click to expand...
Working in stages is fine in my opinion. Just manage based on priority. Kind of like addressing a crown. One visit might be for reduction and follow up would be training interior growth.

Even with some root loss, overall watering will help recovery from that defoliation.
 
oceans said:
It's actually more and more important to get at these things sooner rather than later, as with most tree issues. The consideration is that older plants don't typically respond well to sudden, large scale changes to their environment. Perhaps with your case, make gradual changes over time, and on a priority basis.

Root loss would have to be evaluated when considering cutting out any girdling roots. If you can estimate soil volume around the plant, you may be able to determine where certain roots lead, and how much may be lost when pruning.

One thing Maples tend to do is create new root growth at 90 degrees to any cut. This was explained to me by a very knowledgable arborist in my area. He strongly believes in working new Maple trees in bare root form because of this. Imagine a small 1" or 2" caliper maple being dug with a 24" root ball...if radial roots are severed, and new growth forms at 90 degrees to those cuts, when the tree reaches 24" caliper, it will already be making contact with its own buttress roots.

This made so much sense to me, and it's bolstered by the trunk condition of most Norway Maple trees in my area. They often look like phone poles stuck in the ground, rather than nice flare. Find a Sugar or Red that grew wild from seed (never dug up to transplant) and you'll more than likely see incredible flare.

By roughing it out and going as deep as you can, you'll only get a clearer picture of the overall root system. Maybe one side or one quadrant of the tree at a time?
Click to expand...
Some really good info here, thanks Eric. I think I'll keep digging and see what more I can find out. That 90 degrees part will be really crucial in my gradual process.
Looks like I've found another 'rabbit hole' aspect of tree care
 
The loppers are good away from the trunk, but when you have to take one close to the trunk with surgical precision, there's nothing better than a very sharp medium size chisel, and a very sharp small chisel. I mean sharp enough where you can clean the cut up without even hammering on the chisel.
 
TreeLogic said:
The loppers are good away from the trunk, but when you have to take one close to the trunk with surgical precision, there's nothing better than a very sharp medium size chisel, and a very sharp small chisel. I mean sharp enough where you can clean the cut up without even hammering on the chisel.
Click to expand...
Works in some crown cuts too. Always carry one!
 
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