How much soil can I add to the ground around my mature Burr Oak trees?

[lisa21649]

I am in quick need of an answer as I have recently excavated to put on an addition and the excavators have dumped the clay filled soil around my Oak trees. How much soil can I add to the area around Mature Burr Oak, White Oak and not as mature shagbark Hickory trees? Also, How detrimental to the trees is it to have heavy equipment driving in the drip lines of the trees? Any info would be appreciated.

 

[treedoc1]

Hugely detrimental on both counts, fill soil over the roots and compaction by equipment.

Get some one out (arborist that advertises tree preservation) that is familiar with using an air spade and get the fill off by hand or a small tracked dingo with little ground pressure.

Don't wait on taking action.

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/PUBS/Garden/02926.html

http://www.urbanforestrysouth.org/Resources/Library/Citation.2004-07-21.3250

 

[antigrassguy]

Hello lisa. The roots dont like to be cut off from air or water and they really dont like the soil compacted around them.



All kinds of info of all sorts.
http://bluestem.hort.purdue.edu/pla...escription&category=Construction Damage&-Find

 

[antigrassguy]

Was there a plan of action in regard to these trees PRIOR to construction? In a contract or verbal?

 

[Ed Roland]

I am in quick need of an answer as I have recently excavated to put on an addition and the excavators have dumped the clay filled soil around my Oak trees. How much soil can I add to the area around Mature Burr Oak, White Oak and not as mature shagbark Hickory trees? Also, How detrimental to the trees is it to have heavy equipment driving in the drip lines of the trees? Any info would be appreciated.

Lisa, working on the type of construction damaged trees you have described is half my business. The heavy equipment operating within the dripline of the trees has damaged the fibrous roots. We call these roots the 'feeder roots' as without which the tree has no way of uptaking water/elements. Imagine in your minds eye the damage a 10,000lb machine did to these roots that are only 10 inches below the soil line!
As for the soil they piled around the trunk: Trees roots can stand being in wet conditions for extended periods, (easy pro's, im making a point, ie, field capacity). The trunk section can not! the portion of the trunk that flares out into the soil is know as buttress/flare roots. You always want to see the 'flare' extending outward from the trunk into the ground. This soil piled around the trunk will keep that area of trunk that is buried too wet and that leaves the door WIDE open for various pest/pathalogical issues to enter.
Now, the builder you used should know about the potential problems of running his equipment over these roots and dumping soil onto the trunks of these trees. You may have legal recourse. You WILL notice flagging. Look for the tips of upermost branches to begin dying back. The damage will take time to manifest, sometimes many months, but by then the builder has cashed the check and will avoid your calls about the subject.
I hope I helped some. Good luck.

 

[osb_mail]

A few years ago I herd gardening radio talk show host tell someone that they could put as much soil on a tree roots as they wanted just not on the trunk . My mouth almost dropped to the floor I could not believe that someone that was supposed to be knowledge on a subject would give that kind of suggestion .What a crazy thing to say .

 

[Dixie1]

oaks are highly intolerant of construction type damage. if you notice early fall color or thinning canopy, you can bet the damage has been done. there are some things you can do to help your trees. we have had great luck with a very large willow oak that sustained soil compaction. we killed all of the grass underneath the canopy and even out a little further with round up to eliminate competition from grass and weeds for water/nutrients. then we applied a layer of cottonseed mulch and pine needles. in the fall months we fertilized with an organic mulch called milorganite which is a slow release 6-2-0. it has helped tremendously to compensate for the damage it underwent.

 

[Ed Roland]

we have had great luck with a very large willow oak that sustained soil compaction.

Ms. Dixie gives excellent advice for soil compaction. But im afraid the trees in question have, most likely from the description, sustained severe crushing type injury to the fibrous roots that will inhibit plant processes @ this critical time of the year. If this plant cannot uptake the h2o/elements it needs it will not be able to store the energy to be released for the next springs foliar output.
Lisa, think of the leaves as being , each, a tiny food factory for the tree. No leaves = no food.
Your very best option @ this point would be to hire my competitors - The FA Bartlett Tree Expert Co. Their Dr. Smiley has developed and patented a process of root invigoration that may save these trees. They are most likely in your area and perhaps the builder will foot the bill to avoid litigation.