It’s been through a lot including Aphids, wind damage, sun scorching this summer, it was well established before the artificial turf was installed but I’m concerned the landscape company was lying when they said it would not hurt the tree to bury the crown. There are signs of small bud growth where the leaves all fell off the branches this summer (it was hot in north Texas). I’m curious if I should have it taken out or I should hold out to see if it comes back in the spring. I’m somewhere nervous about it falling or breaking again. How much should I be watering if I do keep it. The splitting on the trunk is concerning and the branches have been curling up oddly. Thanks in advance for any advice.
by schmeckles1
5 Comments
Theyre going to roast you for not having actual dirt around the tree. The landscape company and the artificial turf is probably the culprit
Without getting into things, best to just plant a new tree and make sure it given the proper environment to grow. Artificial turf provides little oxygen and moisture flow, prevents the build up of dense nutrient matter over time, and also is installed by removing a layer of top soil that the tree needs and has used since it was planted.
You were definitely lied to by the landscaper. (Or they was just ignorant about plant care, which is all too common in their profession) Burying the root crown (also called root flare) and putting artificial turf around it are both very bad for the tree. Maybe not an immediate death sentence like we often hype it up to be, but it definitely shortens the lifespan and stresses the tree so it is harder to handle other stressors that come around (they could be the proverbial straw on the camel’s back) the why is: trees need oxygen through their roots, if the roots are buried deep and/or under a less permeable surface than dirt and mulch then the tree then it will have trouble executing the natural processes it needs to survive. Also, if the root flare is buried, roots may grow up and around the trunk, effectively reaching for the surface. If they wrap the trunk you might not see an immediate effect, but as both the trunk and the roots grow wider the tree gets effectively strangled because the parts of the tree that transfer nutrients up and down are just under the surface of the bark.
Another issue is soil compaction. If the soil was tamped down to make your turf install nice and flat, then there are much fewer spaces for air to exist in the soil, further contributing to the problem.
They lied, trees need breathable permeable soil especially in a hot climate like Texas
The baked that tree alive with the turf. Plastic lawns are terrible .