Didn't even think about that... is it harmful to the tree? I already know that's never going to stop lolRoot flare looks fine from here.
The bark does look strange though.
I could imagine those dogs chasing squirrels up that tree and wearing off the lower section over time. It's just a guess.
Root flare looks fine from here.
The bark does look strange though.
I could imagine those dogs chasing squirrels up that tree and wearing off the lower section over time. It's just a guess.
Del is being a bit silly with his post, but he makes a few good comments. Trees in urban settings tend to have thin soil and a few bare roots rising up out of the soil. This is because humans tend to remove the thick, natural mulch of leaves and organic material covering the ground in a natural forest while pursuing a thick lawn.
Just curious, how would other plants improve the soil? Also, in the interim, would scattering leaves/pine needles around the area help? I plan to aerate and top dress the whole yard with Compost in spring timeI'd agree that it looks like dogs or other external de-barking are at work on the tree. Kids throwing stuff at the tree is an option, too. The first pic looks like it has a single spur climbing track going up the tree, much higher than any dog could go.
Del is being a bit silly with his post, but he makes a few good comments. Trees in urban settings tend to have thin soil and a few bare roots rising up out of the soil. This is because humans tend to remove the thick, natural mulch of leaves and organic material covering the ground in a natural forest while pursuing a thick lawn.
Your tree looks like the soil is headed that way. Consider planting a few more landscape plants in a big mulched ring around the tree. Put in some perennial plants that are shade-loving, and you will get a somewhat healthier tree and a lovely landscape area as well. It might be advantageous to put a short decorative barrier of some sort to discourage the dogs from trampling your landscape.
That would just be a guess. Either way, I don't see a long-term health problem.
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