We recently renovated an old house. Once we moved in, a neighbor brought to our attention that the Willow Oak in our front yard looked sick. I called an arborist who told me that the tree was sick from impact and soil compaction caused by heavy eqipment and bobcat landscaping. He said that it probably only had a 50 % chance of survival and saving the tree would cost 1-2 thousand. I love this tree and want to save it. ANy suggestions on things we can do? For instance my mom suggested using reed bar and tree spikes. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks, Beth
sick willow oak
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that's not very inspiring, is it? what exactly were you going to get for all this money?elisabeth said:
Call another arborist or two. Arborguard is in your area; try them. Post pictures here and we can be a lot more help..
Kneejerk Bombas
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The best approach, if the trees problem really is compaction, is to get somebody in with an airspade and break up the soil. In addition to that, we've had great luck using a product called Cambistat, which is some special juice that helps sick trees. Yes, the airspade and chemical treatments will run about a thousand dollars, but are your best bet, from the sounds of it.
If the tree isn't worth the thousand dollars to try to save, then you could try some home remedies. Instead of an airspade, rent a lawn aerator and run that around in an area about a hundred feet or so from the tree. Then get some bagged compost from the garden center and rake it around the same area. The idea is to make little areas of nice, loose soil for roots to go hang out.
You also want to reduce stresses on the tree. Water if you don't get rain for a week or so, keep traffic away from further compacting the soil, do not fertilize or weed kill under or near the tree. Do not use spikes and I don't even know what a reed bar is, but whatever it is, don't use it.
Make a mulch bed under the tree, but do not use herbicides or disturb the soil to remove existing grass. Tree roots are very shallow, do not hurt them. Simply lay a few sheets of news paper down, add a thin layer of compost, and then cover with 1 to 3 inches of organic material like mulch. The bigger the beds, the better for the tree. If you can make the bed extend out a bit past its crown, that's great. If you can go bigger, that's even better. The bed doesn't have to be round or unbroken, be creative, have the bed blend into the surrounding lanscape and include other nearby trees or shrubs.
If you can only do one thing, I'd try the cambistat. Rainbow Tree care has more information on it's site.
Put some pictures up and we can give you better information.
If the tree isn't worth the thousand dollars to try to save, then you could try some home remedies. Instead of an airspade, rent a lawn aerator and run that around in an area about a hundred feet or so from the tree. Then get some bagged compost from the garden center and rake it around the same area. The idea is to make little areas of nice, loose soil for roots to go hang out.
You also want to reduce stresses on the tree. Water if you don't get rain for a week or so, keep traffic away from further compacting the soil, do not fertilize or weed kill under or near the tree. Do not use spikes and I don't even know what a reed bar is, but whatever it is, don't use it.
Make a mulch bed under the tree, but do not use herbicides or disturb the soil to remove existing grass. Tree roots are very shallow, do not hurt them. Simply lay a few sheets of news paper down, add a thin layer of compost, and then cover with 1 to 3 inches of organic material like mulch. The bigger the beds, the better for the tree. If you can make the bed extend out a bit past its crown, that's great. If you can go bigger, that's even better. The bed doesn't have to be round or unbroken, be creative, have the bed blend into the surrounding lanscape and include other nearby trees or shrubs.
If you can only do one thing, I'd try the cambistat. Rainbow Tree care has more information on it's site.
Put some pictures up and we can give you better information.
Mike's right. I think the poster means re-bar, a section of reinforcing bar, 1/2" steel rod which cam be used to aerate. Last job I did like this the soil was too hard even for the airspade so I used a miner's pick to fluff up the soil. holes were plenty big for lotsa compost with puffball spores blended in.
Yes the trunk got Paclobutrazol too we'll see how the leaves look next spring. This 42" willow oak is in front of a county library. Elisabeth we'd be interested in hearing about Arborguard's proposal. If a guy named Barry makes the call tell him Guy says Hi.
Yes the trunk got Paclobutrazol too we'll see how the leaves look next spring. This 42" willow oak is in front of a county library. Elisabeth we'd be interested in hearing about Arborguard's proposal. If a guy named Barry makes the call tell him Guy says Hi.
Kneejerk Bombas
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How do you harvest and store your puff balls?
Harvesting is easy; just pick em--?Mike Maas said:
Stroring, sometimes I just keep em in paper bags and sometimes I blend em asap into soil conditioner and store in 5 gallon buckets.
What do you reckon is the best way to handle them?
Kneejerk Bombas
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When they are new, just popping out of the ground, they are solid. Then in time they get so if you touch them, the spores poof out all over the place.
I'm wondering if you can harvest them at the stage where they are solid, or if you need to wait until they dry out, or do you harvest and dry them?
I'm wondering if you can harvest them at the stage where they are solid, or if you need to wait until they dry out, or do you harvest and dry them?
You're right the spores can poof all over the place. I put my hand in a plastic shopping bag, grab em, and turn the bag inside out to contain em. I tend to think that the spores would mostly be viable even if the fruiting body is not fully formed, but best to wait til the skin's about to rip, if you can.
