Know what to look for and how to protect your trees with these tips.
Tree girdling almost alwaysspells doomif not caught early and corrected.
A tree’s own roots can often cause girdling if they begin circling the trunk.
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As the roots expand, they strangle the tree.
Too tight tree stakes and straps around the trunk or branches can girdle a tree.
Girdling can also happen when the bark is damaged or removed around the trunk or a branch.
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What Causes Tree Girdling?
Tree Roots
More commonly, tree girdling is resulting from a tree’s roots.
Girdling roots often begin circling at the nursery when trees grow in a pot that is too small.
Balled-and-burlapped trees are less susceptible to girdling.
Planting Errors
Poor planting is also a cause of tree girdling.
Tips for Preventing Tree Girdling When Planting
1.
Plant at the proper depth.
When in doubt, planting the tree 1 or 2 inches too high rather than too deep is better.
Dig a wide planting hole.
Allow ample space for roots to expand outward by digging a wide planting hole.
Backfill around the tree with the same garden soil you removed from the hole; don’tadd amendments or compost.
Inspect roots of container-grown trees and sever if needed.
Cut roots regenerate quickly and will grow into the landscape soil.
Cover the root ball with2 inches or less of mulch.
Don’t let the mulch touch the root collar.
A healthy tree has roots that grow deep and outward from the trunk.
If you don’t see any roots, pull back the mulch or soil to expose them.
Sometimes, girdling roots are buried under atoo thick layer of mulchor soil.
Another indicator of a brewing problem is a tree trunk that enters the ground like a straight telephone pole.
Girdling roots commonly occurwhen the tree is planted too deeply, and the root collar is buried.
However, depending on the situation, you may still be able to save a girdled tree.
Small roots encircling the trunk of an established tree can beremoved with prunersor a sharp chisel and mallet.
Remedying girdling roots 2 inches or more in diameter is best left to an arborist.
Cut any circling roots.
