Culvert improvements were made by the city and this is the resulting damage to the roots. Two mature maple trees were in the path. This one got it the worst.
Will the introduction of topsoil make matters better or worse? It is very dry here with no rain in the foreseeable future.
Is there anything I can realistically do to ensure the tree thrives? Thanks
by Kblack1101
3 Comments
Life…uh…finds a way.
probably not going to be a happy tree, but you will see.
That’s a very significant amount of root zone to lose. If it was in range of your house I would be concerned about its stability in a storm. This is a significant trauma, so the goal would be to make the tree’s life easier while it tries to recover. During drought, get a big soaker hose and spiral it around starting a couple of feet away from the trunk. Run it for at least a few hours, but maybe only once or twice a week. Adding soil back in where it was removed won’t hurt (just don’t bury any of the trunk)
Might be worth getting an ISA certified arborist (treesaregood.org) to assess and document the damage. If the tree does die and needs to be removed, you might be able to get the city to pay for it and maybe also for a replacement tree.