The bulldozing continues
A few months ago, I wrote about the trees at a construction site. I said that the few trees left standing on the lot had suffered a lot of abuse, and I expressed doubt that they would survive over the long term.
Last week, the bulldozer was brought back to level the ground some more. Look how the dirt is piled around the trunk of the tree in the photo. Any feeder roots that survived the original assault have surely been ripped off and shoved away now. In addition, the soil has again been compacted by heavy equipment.Today, when I passed, a landscaping firm was heaping red mulch-nuggets around the trees. It hardly matters at this point, but that's one more stupid move if they want the trees to live. Trees don't do well with mulch piled high around their trunks. It invites insects, disease, rot, and rodents. (See "Proper Mulching Techniques" for trees.)
Mark my words -- the trees at this homesite are facing a premature death. I see that as a sad thing because the trees here were healthy before the construction began. It will take several decades to replace some of them. The homeowners have succeeded in making their wooded, rural lot look just like any large homesite in a suburban subdivision.
Related posts:
Will these trees survive construction?
How to compute a tree's critical root area
1 comments -- please add yours:
People have no clue, but the landscaping company should have been on top of that -telling the owners what's what. Hate the red wood mulch.
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