Tulip Tree with damaged roots

[wwalsh8655]

Greetings,

I bought a new house last year and fell in love with a tall, majestic tulip tree in the yard which I saw when I looked at the house for the first time. To my horror, the landscape company ran their bulldozer over (and over) the base of the tree and clearly damamged the roots. (What kind of landscaper does that?!!!)

Anyway, the leaves are out and the tree, to my surprise and delight has survived--but barely. It looks to be about 30% dead branches now. There are leaves on every main branch and leaves all the way to the top, but it's not the same.

I would HATE to lose this tree. Is there anything I can do to nurse it back to full health?

Thanks,

Bill Walsh

 

[CANUSA]

I'm not a tulip tree expert by any means but I do have some ideas on what is occuring here. The bulldozer has obviously compacted the soil aroud the tree, creating an anerobic environment for the roots of the tree (no oxygen exchange). I haven't read anything to help this situation, only to prevent it, but I can provide some educated guesses. First you need to make this tree as healthy as possible, try deep-root fertilizing it, and keeping it well watered. Second, try to loosen up the compacted soil by adding organics such as peat moss, sheep sh&t, etc. Thirdly, and maybe the most out of this world idea, add natures natural soil aeraitors (worms) to the soil, let them do the hard work and re-oxygenate the soil. Let me know how it turns out, but remember this happened in days but may take years to fix.

 

[treeseer]

Hey Bill, call Bartlett/Jordan's tree svc and hear what they have to say about root invigoration with an air tool and compost. Then look in the Raleigh phone book for an Arborist, and call the "Better" one.

"the landscape company ran their bulldozer over (and over) the base of the tree and clearly damamged the roots. (What kind of landscaper does that?!!!) "

One that was not told not to do it. If you bought the place and did nothing to see that the tree would be protected from construction, you trusted the wrong people. Big mistake to ass u me that those contractors knew tree care--kind of like calling Better Tree Care to sprig your lawn.