Planting trees

**TreEmergencyB** · 05-24-2009, 11:12 AM

Does planting a tree with the cage and burlap still on hurt the tree i was taught that it does ie. girdlin roots, root rot...by my mentor (certified arborist) and getting laughed at by my new boss uh (certified landscraper) he went to school somewhere??? because im takin the time to take that crap off and he says it wont hurt, " o that burlap just gonna hold more water for it..." is what he said? "just put it in the hole!" we untied it and took the burlap down the the top of the cage

**S Mc** · 05-24-2009, 01:04 PM

If possible, we would prefer to remove the burlap and cage entirely, however it does make handling the root ball much more difficult and I would rather disturb that as little as possible. So we generally opt for cutting off as much as possible. Standards recommend at least by 1/3.

IMHO leaving the burlap on because "that burlap just gonna hold more water for it" is a boggess comment.

I'm not sure where landscapers get their "certification". We were called into a site once where the nursery personnel had not only left the cage and burlap on, but left it tied to the trunk AND buried the trees a good 18" above the tie to "make sure they didn't fall over".

Another great comment read on a site once was where the landscaper "left the cages on because it made it easier to remove them when they died".

You have to wonder what's wrong with people.

Sylvia

**TreEmergencyB** · 05-24-2009, 01:11 PM

yea my mentor had us take the cage off next to the whole insert burlaped tree and cut as much off as we could

thanks i kinda knew i was right but wanted to get some input

the forman told me they leave em on the promote dwarphism so arbs and stuff dont get to big next to the house haha