X Marks the spot

Tom Dunlap

Tom Dunlap

Here from the beginning
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Retired in Minneapolis
Since we too often see trees that have been planted too high [not often] or too low [most of the time] are there any techniques in place to set a mark for the correct height?

Where is this correct height on a tree?

How is this determined?

Once this agreed upon mark is established how does it stay with or on the tree?
 
The correct height would be the root crown(root collar) at the soil line of the existing grade. B&B trees which are often deep in the ball need to be probed and then the tops excavated down to expose the root crown.

You can tie a bright piece of flagging around the crown so everyone on the planting crew knows what not to bury.

I am an advocate of bare rooting all trees at planting time. This allows removal of girdling and "J" roots and exposes the collar so you know you are planting at the correct depth/height.

This also eliminates the soil interface issues of the B&B soil and the site soil.

Here is what we did today. A tree for a memorial garden at an area high school.
 
At sometime during the growth of the tree in the nursery ground level is known. That is when an indicator point would be determined. Measuring and marking up from that point would be easy. A dot of paint would stay with the tree for a long time. Measuring down from there would give the groundlevel point.
 
I've planted many hundreds of trees. I've seen toooo many planted too deep at the nursery. One recently planted about 14" too deep at the nursery!

I look for the basal flare and if the tree doesn't have a developed flare yet, I look for the first major root. You can't base it off the first root. If the tree was planted too deep, there could be adventitious roots way up high.

Caution- to the untrained eye, trunk grafts can look like flares.

Tom, interesting idea to paint a mark on the tree. There is usually SOME ONE at a nursery that knows how to find where the soil level of a young tree. But it is rare to have all the staff at a nursery know or care how much soil should be in there.

Nurseries collectively should be slapped.

love
nick
 
Nick,

You're onto what I'm thinking about.

If a standard mark was put on tree trunks it would be simple enough to measure down to the correct planting depth. Having an industry standard for something as simple as this shouldn't be too hard to agree upon.
 
Ohhhh...Are you suggesting having nurseries agree that all 15 gallon trees would be planted at 18" depth, all 24" box trees would be 23" deep, and 1 gallon trees would be 10" deep, or something like that?

That might be tough to sell to the nurseries. I don't know. There are many variables. Some trees grow at slower rates. The nurseries would have to eat the cost of having extra soil in the pot just to hold the tree up to the 10" mark.

Judging by the crap that I see coming out of nurseries, I think they might not be too keen on change.

love
nick
 
No, find the root crown or ground level point then measure up to establish an index point that anyone can measure back down to the ground level. since trees are transplanted or soil might get piled on them in the nursery it would be easy to tell where the ground level point is.

Agreed, it might be hard to get nurseries to agree on this idea though.
 
I'm not sure what you're getting at Tom. The root flare should always be visible (except in the case of airlayers), whether in the nursery in a pot, or at the planting site. Why mark anywhere else on the tree?

By the way, if you think what comes out of American nurseries is bad, you should see what comes out of Chinese nurseries!
 
The root flare is what we want to locate. But...what happens if the RF is buried in one of the transplants? By making a mark higher on the trunk the location can always be determined.
 
It can also be located by digging down to find it, which is what you'd have to do when planting it anyway. Why make things more complicated?

If you must make a mark, make it at the root flare. If you can't see it when planting/transplanting you know you have a problem.
 
.... soil composition, location, environmental factors, and tree type. a reference mark is a handy idea, but a lot of adjustments can and need to be made to the planting hole depending on the situation. we all know it's not like setting a fence post.
furthermore, unless there is some serious change in the industry, landscape installers will never see the dot on B&B stock because it will be under the burlap and 20 or 30 wraps of twine.
 
Tom I agree with Leon, the flare should be visible or at least findable. Leon, please show us pictures of what chinese nurseries are selling! Unless you are worried about going to a reeducation camp...
 
Agreed, the flare is the X-spot. Since 'we' all know that and can identify the spot it would be easy to find but we have to dig around for it. What about the folks who have no clue what to look for? Right now there are plenty of trees that are being sold and installed on 'inspected' job sites that are being planted too deep. Why?

If an untrained inspector could come along, see the X-spot, measure down to the ground and see if the X-spot is an agreed upon distance from grade level it would eliminate any digging and poking, right?
 
Guy, I'll see if I can find some photos for you. Imagine a big stick with a little dirty lump on the bottom that passes for a root ball.
 
Tear the root ball apart if B&B. The root flare should always be at ground level. 99% of the time you will have to dig for it in B&B and container. When I am done with a B&B tree it is basically getting planted bare root. The correct planting of trees is a huge problem. If we can fix this one I will be happy. I always tell clients, landscapers, and nurserymen to learn from nature and walk through the woods. The trees have root flares in the woods. Mother Nature does it best learn from her.
 
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