Girdled roots

[Gary Prentice]

Such is the tangled web of love and life:001_smile:

[woody paul]

Found this when cutting between Bat willows.

[David Humphries]

Found this when cutting between Bat willows.

[ATTACH]129707[/ATTACH]

 

Does it appear to have affected the associated root/trunk channel?

 

 

 

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[treeseer]

The girdled buttress root appears to be broken and decayed. Curious. Pruning opportunity.

 

Possible to see all sides of it?

[woody paul]

Sorry did not say that the tree in picture has fallen over and that root is around trunk, tree is only 10" across.

[Gary Prentice]

Looked at this Paulownia tomentosa today, there's a very large lateral root above ground and this area on the opposite side. I have a suspicion that there's either a hard pan preventing vertical roots or maybe even a foundation of an old outbuilding below.

 

The owner thinks its poorly, ie reduced vitality. I conducted a very scientific pull test (grabbed a limb and pulled it) and moved the whole tree, more than I would expect.

 

I don't know if this species commonly surface roots, so may be barking up the wrong tree entirely. Opinions anyone?

[Gary Prentice]

Another pic, hopefully the right way up

[treeseer]

I don't know if this species commonly surface roots, so may be barking up the wrong tree entirely. Opinions anyone?

Looks like 2nd pic is the good side and the first was the bad. use trowel and hose to clear the sgr then prune it...September 27, 4 p.m..

 

is that opinionated enough?

[sean]

A li,me in a local park. I have started noticing quite a few park trees have girdled roots. Is this generally a result of bad planting or a compaction issue or both perhaps/?

[treeseer]

Sean, it looks like those roots were once covered, then soil was removed/eroded away.

 

Unless they just jumped out of the ground, gasping? Stranger things have happened.

 

With those nice-looking buttress roots, can't find fault with planting depth. Compaction, yes, no doubt.

One spec might be to lop sgrs,

aerate 1'+ deep, out to 1' beyond the exposed root farthest from the trunk.

then mulch out to protect those roots from mower and strimmer.

if herbicide is not popular, then grass can be grubbed out and the area covered with cardboard.

Worms love cardboard.

Edited August 2, 2013 by treeseer