How to strengthen root system of existing tree

[Anncao]

We have two thundercloud cherry plum trees blown over by wind rain storm at different day in the past a couple of weeks.

 

We still have one tree left, not blown down yet. What do I need to do to prevent it being blow over like the other two tees? How can I strengthen it to be strong?

 

Thanks

[daltontrees]

Looks like it already was stronger than the other two. What strengthens trees is them standing up naturally to wind. If you support them you will weaken their natural strength. If they are too tall and have a large wind resistance and you are worried that they are close to blowing over in strong winds, you could reduce them a bit. As little as you can get away with.

[renewablejohn]

Root pruning would be an option but most butchers do more harm then good and end up killing the tree.

[peatff]

If you stake them low down with a diagonal stake they will still be allowed some movement and will build up strength naturally.

[Chris at eden]

If you reduce the overall height of the tree by 10%, you will reduce bio-mechanical loading at the base by 20%. If you reduce by 20% it will reduce loading at the base by 50%. This was from a book on pruning that came out recently, I forget the title. If the tree is protected remember not to spec the works for reduction as a percentage, you will need to convert the quantities to linier metres or the council may not validate.

 

If you stake low down the stem will move allowing for the production of stem taper. What it wont do is allow root plate movement so the roots wont become optimised in my opinion. I agree with Jules, if you stake a tree with an already weak root system you may make the issue worse. This is on the understanding that the trees are established and not newly planted.

[edwood]

If you reduce the overall height of the tree by 10%, you will reduce bio-mechanical loading at the base by 20%. If you reduce by 20% it will reduce loading at the base by 50%. This was from a book on pruning that came out recently, I forget the title. If the tree is protected remember not to spec the works for reduction as a percentage, you will need to convert the quantities to linier metres or the council may not validate.

 

 

 

If you stake low down the stem will move allowing for the production of stem taper. What it wont do is allow root plate movement so the roots wont become optimised in my opinion. I agree with Jules, if you stake a tree with an already weak root system you may make the issue worse. This is on the understanding that the trees are established and not newly planted.

 

 

Sorry to derail but any chance you can get the name of that book? Books like that get me excited:)

Reduce by 10% and mulch the root zone. If 2 trees close together have gone take a look for fungal pathogens that could have weekend the roots

[Gary Prentice]

Sorry to derail but any chance you can get the name of that book? Books like that get me excited:)

Reduce by 10% and mulch the root zone. If 2 trees close together have gone take a look for fungal pathogens that could have weekend the roots

 

I don't think it or they failed due to decay, more the boulders/impermeable layer they'd been planted on top of.. The OP had another thread up last week about it. http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/general-chat/80539-tree-fell-can-still-survive.html#post1197257

 

If the tree hasn't sufficient depth of usable soil beneath it, well with all the will in the world, it's still going to topple. Have a look at matthecks diagrams of critical root space/depth.

Edited November 10, 2014 by Gary Prentice

[Anncao]

Thank you all, we found the soil around our area, the top is good, but one foot below there are a lot of hard clay soil. And small rocks. Under one of the died trees, we dig out a huge concrete rock apparently left over by the people who doing the construction 10 year ago, they just beried some of their building material under ground.

We just bought the house. The 3rd tree left looks ok, but it tilted a little bit towards west. I am concerned, and we do put some stakes to support it, we have lot of rain here in fall, winter and spring. But dry in summer, maybe because we did not water them in summer?

[Goaty]

You shouldn't need to water them. Searching for water helps develop strong root system, also vice versa.

 

Cherries are of the prunus family and can get disease(silver leaf and canker I think ) if pruned in winter especially if its hard pruning and hard weather. Cherries are much better than plum and other orchard fruits for this though.

 

Cherries are vigorous rooters, but yours may be on dwarf rootstocks. Which possibly means they will need support.

 

All these points are off the top of my head. So google to verify.

[Anncao]

This is not cherry, it is called thundercloud cherry plum, see picture