What can I do to save the trees in my yard during construction?

ASK THE HORT AGENT

Question What can I do to save the trees in my yard during construction?

Answer Trees add so much value to our property. The look and feel of an established tree in a landscape is comforting to most folks (hurricane and tornado survivors excluded). When building a new home, people generally do not want to wait for a planted tree to grow up. Nowadays, the trend is to take advantage of the head start nature gives us.

Unfortunately, simply “leaving” trees on a parcel of property is not enough to insure their survival. Construction of a new home, workshop, barn or driveway can cause enough damage to kill an average tree. The primary problem is root damage.

Since roots are out of sight, damage to this vital system can happen without anybody knowing. It is the strength of trees and their wood which allows us to often overlook the weakness of their lifeline.

Root damage may take years to kill a tree, as opposed to lightning which takes a fraction of a second. The first signs of trouble will materialize in the canopy. Most new home owners don’t notice the signs of decline and/or death until 3 to 5 years have passed. The time it takes for a tree to die depends on the amount of damage, size and species of tree.

If you haven’t already figured it out, the key to tree survival is root protection. “Root protection zones” can be established around existing trees (see table 1). These areas should be free from equipment, workers, grading, etc… Do NOT run trenches for water, telephone and electric lines through the root protection zones. There is no difference between smashing a root and chopping one off.

Be realistic when deciding which trees to leave on a site. Not all trees can be saved. It is far more expensive to have a tree removed after construction than before construction. Consult an arborist, landscape architect or landscape designer for advice prior to construction.

Keep in mind that tree protection is not relegated to new home construction only. Root zones expand as small trees get larger. These root zones need expanding protection as time goes by. Vehicle, pedestrian and animal traffic will cause damage to tree roots. This damage may not cause an effect as dramatic as a bulldozer (pronounced bull-noser in parts of Harnett County), but it may shorten the life of affected trees.

For more info about tree protection, visit http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/forestry/pdf/ag/ag685.pdf or http://www.tlcfortrees.info/tree_root_myths.htm If you do not have internet access, then call me at 910-893-7533 or email me at gpierce@harnett.org

Be sure to hug your tree each day. You never know if or when a lightning bolt may send your favorite tree to the big toothpick factory in the sky.

Gary L. Pierce

Horticulture Extension Agent

Harnett County

Table 1. Tree Protection Zone Guidelines