Checking the health of your tree

With all trees, most of the time (excluding seasonal changes), just assess whether the tree looks happy or sad.

Happy is shown by a full canopy of leaves and leaves with lustre (unless deciduous and in autumn/winter)

Sad, leaves wihout lustre, brown leaves in canopy / autumnal colours at wrong time of year, sparse canopy, and leaves on the ground at wrong time of year. With deciduous trees, leaves being lost from the branch tips or with evergreen trees foliage being lost excessively from the inside out.

When stressed, trees will drop leaves, as they transpire precious moisture, to enable them to concentrate on their roots. If the canopy contains brown dead leaves, this is more serious as the message to lose leaves has not got thru. A tree will dieback to a size it can support.

Always consider the prevailing weather, is it benign ( cool, damp) or siege like, hot and dry? Have there been any changes around the tree? Has the aftercare been amended according to the prevailing weather? If the tree was planted or transplanted within the last five years, it should still be watered to accomodate for the reduced root system.

To determine if the branch is still viable the cambium needs to be checked. This is the bright green transport layer, just beneath the bark. Lightky scrape the bark to reveal the cambium if bright green, the branch is still viable, if it is brown, the branch has died.

Helping newly planted and transplanted trees, hedges and shrubs to establish

These specimens need aftercare, during the period whilst they are extending their root systems, to a size where they can support themselves. This time is called establishing and when the specimen has a root system that requires no aftercare, this is known as established.

The length of the establishing phase is upto 5 years.

The aftercare is primarily watering, during spring and summer.

The Soil Biology should be encouraged by the re-application of mulch annually. As this composts down it feeds the Soil Food Web with organic matter.

Soil Biology can also be boosted by the drenching of the root system with a bespoke Compost Tea, that contains all of the good parts of the Soil Food Web, apart from worms and insects (which will migrate to this improved soil).

** RANT** Volume housebuilder "two waterings of trees and shrubs per year"

I was astonished to find myself discussing with a commerical director of a nation volume housebuilder aftercare of their soft landscapes and find they only paid for two waterings per year of newly planted trees and shrubs, for two years

I suggested that for this spring and summer, he only takes two drinks.

He saw no value in passing a quaility landscape onto the communuty or the managing agents responsible for the care of it. At best they are passing a poisoned chalice onto the community.

There was no attempt to being their approved landscape plans to life.

This approach will not lead to the landscape plans, approved but the Local Authoirty.

Why are Local Authorities not checking and enforcing their approved plans, with replacements for failed specimens.

Why are Local Authorities not passing landscape plans subject to BS8545? This should gurantee the approved landscape to come to fruition.

Planners have developers at their mercy when approving plans, why do that not have the ***** to ensure their appovals occur. Increase the cost to include monitoring of trees (retained and newly planted) on development sites for 5 years,

This will massively enhance the local enviroment.

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Ecology Trees

These are large trees, translocated as large as sites allow as ecological mitigation. Deadwood habitat is a rare resource, due to the habit of clearing it.

We can locate these horizontally or vertically. The vertical ones are particularly useful for bat mitigation, providing new roosts.

There are a number of features we create on these trees to maximise ecological benefit

Clay Soils - planting and lawns

Clay soils, which also mainifest themsleves as “hard lawns” are not inherently bad, they have many nutrients locked up in them that roots can access.

They however spend nearly all the year desiccated (hard) or staturated. There is only two short periods during which is can be worked. Before it gets too desiccated or too saturated.

The structure of clay soil can be easily damaged when saturated by walking on it

The adding of grit or sand to improve it cannot be practicaly undertaken due to the quantity required.

Organic matter is the best way of improving the soil, by digging in peat free compost and/or leaf matter. This can be boosted by adding Soil Biology, through deep soil air probes that adds habitats (zeolites) for microbes, packed with Soil Biology. This method will also create fissures in the soil to aid drainage and add aeration..

In addition we can drench with Soil Biology to boost microbial activity and the plants, trees and lawns.

Soil Biology (specifically Mycorrhizal Fungi) extend in effect the root system of grass, plants and trees by upto 700 times. This makes them stronger and more resilient.

When planting in clay soils, there are plants and trees that are suited to heavier soils.

Plants and trees are grown in relatively light soils, then when planted in dense caly soils, problems can occur. Moisture in the dense clay soil wicks accross into the lighter rootball soils, filling the planting pit up like a sink and drowning most plants.

To alleviate this, do not dig a larger pit, it will just create a larger sink to fill up. Plant the specimen, slightly raised, so that some of the roots can always breathe. Then bench soil up around the exposed root system.

If you can drain the planting pit somewhere, do so with a length of land drainage pipe or french drain, from near the bottom of the planting pit.

There is little point in installing a gravel layer, unless it drains somewhere.

Add Soil Biology and mulch then top up the mulch every year. This will slowly add organic matter to the soil.

With hard lawns, we can add Soil Biology, to help. Ideally mowing is undertaken with a mulching mower (or cut twice weekly without collecting). This will feed the soil biology as it composts down. Please think of grass cuttings as valuable organic matter that should be retained within your garden.

Verticality

An American based client who looked after the internal plants in a famous casio in Las Vegas introduced us to a new word, that we have adopted.

He explained that he needed height, wanted people to look up with large pleached trees as what his casino was lacking was “verticality”.

When we use this word with clients, it is immediately understood.

Government Tree Planting Targets

Do not be mislead by these

1) The tree growing industry is already near full capacity

2) As with many trades it is dominated by soon to retire people

3) The seed collectors are also suffering the same issues

4) There are insufficient planters of trees. on a commerical basis, to plant more trees

5) It is unlikey the trees will get the aftercare to establish.

6) The supply of trees and seeds is limited by local provence (some debate whether it is wiser to collect seeds from warmer /drier areas due to global warming)

Soil Biology

Healthy lawns, shrubs and trees are dependent on their symbiotic relationship with Soil Biology (also called the Soil Food Web).

Mycorrhizal Fungi links up with roots and receives excess carbohydrates from the plant. Then within 0.2 of a second it passes nutrients to the root.

This clever fungi can expand the root systems by upto to 700 times.

Essentially the rest of the Soil Food Web exists in balance to create a healthy, fertile, well drained soil.

The lawn, shrubs and trees are healthier and more resilient.

In this association with Soil Biology the plant benefits again, because they defend the roots (in which they have so much vested) from attack.

We at Ruskins can drench your lawn, shrubs or trees with a bespoke Compost Tea that contains all of the good parts of the Soil Food Web apart from worms and insects (which will migrate to this improved soil).

You will see the benefit in a lawn within 3 weeks and with shrubs and trees a bit later.

Please call us on 01277 849990 or email us on mail@ruskins.co.uk and we can explain how we can help you.

Why do you have lawns that are hard?

Essentially it is because there is poor Soil Biology present in the soil. 50% of a healthy soil is air. Soil with poor Soil Biology are compacted and hard.

This can be rectified, as a first step we can drench with a liquid that naturally aerates the soil, we can then drench with a Compost Tea that includes all of the good parts of the Soil Food Web apart from worms and insects. Then we can introduce worms to achieve the estimated requirement of 20/m2.

One application could be sufficient, but 6 weekly applications during the growing season can be applied.

A more direct approach is to decompate using Air Probes to deliver blasts of air at depths down to 1 metre to create fissures in the soil. These are kept open by an injection of a natural material Terramol and mineral zeolites (micro porous habitats for microbes containing 9 types of Myccorhizal Fungi and 16 of the most benefical soil bacteria.

Once the Soil Biology is present, it needs to be feed, it will get some food from the roots the Myccorhizal Fungi are attached to. Ideally mulching mowers should be used that return the grass clippings to the base of the grass, where it is consumed by the Soil Biology.

When aiming to have optium Soil Biology, man made fertilisers should not be used as these degrade Soil Biology.

Trees coming into leaf

The swelling of buds and coming into leaf is a chemical driven response to spring, warmer temperatures, longer days. It is not a good indicator as to the health of a tree. The real test is if the tree can support these leaves in the weeks following.

So please do not take a tree coming into leaf as it is doing ok. Especially with newly planted, transplanted and trees that were stressed last year, these should receive aftercare, primarily watering.

Whilst a newly planting/transplanted tree is extending a root system to that a of a natural tree, it will need assistance. This can be for upto 5 years as per BS8545:2014

Plants in containers

1) Plants do not like being in containers

How to mitigate against this.

2) If possible do not have a base on the container, let the roots enter the ground. They will access the nutrients and moisture in the soil. The plant will not become pot bound, it will suffer less from being in the pot.

3) If you cannot do the above, either make the pot from Air Pot or line the pot/planter with Air Pot. It prevents girdling of roots, it stimulates fibrous root growth and allows easier root pruning to prevent the plant becoming pot bound. Air Pot air prunes the roots, a small air gap should be left if lining the pot.

4) Plants in containers, need more watering than plants in the ground. They dry out quicker, drain often too well (or not enough see below), suffer from the heating up and cooling of the container. Little and often, ideally via a monitored automated irrigation system.

5) The plant will exhaust nutrients in the container, they need to be replenished. This should not occur with inorganic fertilisers. Man made chemicals destroy the natural Soil Food Web. The pots should be mulched with woodchips (not bark much - too slow to compost down, never stones). As the mulch composts down it feeds the Soil Food Web in the container with organic matter. Annually the pot should be topdressed with PAS100 compost, to replaced the nutrients used by the plant.

6) Ideally the pot should be drenched with Compost Tea and a bio stimulant four times a year to ensure, optimal soil biology is present .

7) Ensure the pot drains, this can change over time.

8) After 2-3 years, when the plant is pot bound (no space for extra roots ) it should be root pruned and new organic matter placed in the voids created.

9) See 1)

Decompaction / Aeration with Air Spades

Compacted ground harms trees. It restricts percolation of moisture, gaseous exchange and absorption of organic matter. The Soil Biology is degraded.

It can occur from pedestrian traffic, runners and vehicles. When the ground is damp, it is easier for compaction to occur.

We can remove compaction with Air Spades and deeper Soil Probes. With the addition of Soil Ameliorates we can improve the quality of the soil and the biology within. This aeration of soil creates soil with good structure and is aerated. Just as nature intended.

These is nothing we like more than stopping the decline of a tree and returning trees to good condition.

How do you tell if a tree is suffering from compacted ground?

Does water pond in the area? Does it take longer to drain away?

Have cars, vehicles, plant either driven across or been parked in the area?

Have materials been stored in the area?

Have people/crowds/runners been in the area?

Is there any other explanation for the tree having a less dense canopy/ dying back in the canopy/ looking sad?

Please call us for advice 01277 849990

The importance of aftercare

From planting/ transplanting, the period until the tree has developed a root system equal to that of a natural tree and it can look after itself, will need assistance.

In addition if the planting site is sub optimal, for example hard surfaces, restricted rooting area, not suited to planting conditions….. The tree might always need assistance.

The assistance is to compensate for reduced root system or restricted rooting area / planting conditions.

It is primarily satisfactory watering, optimal Soil Biology and mulching to feed the Soil Food Web as it composts down.

Without assistance unless very benign weather for years, they are likely to fail.

Mulching

Mulching with woodchips is the closest that planted trees will get to being in a woodland.

In a woodland there is a carpet of leaves and other tree detrius, that composts down to feed the Soil Food Web with organic matter. As man /machine/chemicals have not been near this area, there is present a healthy Soil Biology that helps compost down the organic matter. This in turn supports Mycorrhizal fungi that symbiotically extend the root system of trees.

This is why woodchips / leaf matter is vitally important with the health of soil/trees.

When applying, do not place it around the trunk (the tree needs the trunk clear of soil buildup/woodchips) and spread it 10cm (3 Inches deep) as wide as you can, ideally upto the spread of the canopy or further.

If you have several trees, do this with half and leave the others and see the benefit.

Mulch will create upto 15 times the Mycorrhizal Fungi activity over that which is found with a grass finish.

Do not use bark, it is too slow to compost down (and is more expensive), use Landscape Mulch, where a whole tree has passed through a woodchipper. Local Tree Surgeons sell this, ask for well composted (so the tannins have leached out and not too much Conifer (slightly acidic).

Leave Leaves

Naturally trees benefit from their leaves, twice. Once to photosynthesise and to extract energy from the sun. Then when they fall and land near the tree, they compost down, in woodlands this happens relatively quickly thanks to the healthy soil biology, feeding the Soil Food Web with organic matter. By feeding the Soil Food Web, it greatly helps the roots, by boosting the Mycorrhizal Fungi.

This is why leaves should be left. If they fall on lawns, they will temporarily degrade the lawn whilst they compost down. This can be accelerated by using a mulching mower to cut up the leaves into very small pieces and fire them to the bottom of the grass. Here they are readily eaten by worms. Tony Kirkham assured a seminar that they disappear by morning at Kew.

The alternative is to rake them up and either put them on beds near the tree or in a compost heap to create leaf mould and then placed around trees.

Let nature do it’s work!

Watering tubes!!!!

The tubes and grilles covering them that appear next to newly planted trees are not for watering.

Water delivered down this tube, bypasses most roots and delivers water to the base of the rootball.

It should only be used for some water, we estimate about 20%. Watering should occur across the top of the rootball and the immediate area around the rootball. This is where 100% of the roots are. Watering from above is just like how rain waters the roots. Watering via the tube only misses most of the roots.

The pipe is an aeration and irrigation pipe.

It is to deliver both air and water lower than usual to encourage deeper root growth. Roots need air and water, roots breathe (undertake a gaseous exchange), by delivering this air and water lower than normal, it encourages deeper root growth. This is beneficial as it helps the tree when it is dry, by accessing moisture at lower levels, which would be not normally be available to the tree.

There is a common mistake that watering only occurs via the tube. It is vital that the above is understood by the person with the hose.

Are your trees planted in soil or dirt?

Soil is akin to a living organism, called the Soil Food Web, which is present in the soil. This takes composting organic matter (i.e. mulch) , moisture and air, then with the help of bacteria, nematodes, insects, worms and fungi. The fungi include Mycorrhizal fungi that symbiotically help tree by extending there root system.

Dirt is dead soil or soil seriously depleted of the Soil Food Web, it typically has no organic matter composting into it and can be compacted. It is very difficult to establish plants in dirt, unless inorganic fertilisers are used to replace the Soil Food Web. If compacted it will also need to be aerated. Once a soil is fertilised it is more problematic for the Soil Food Web to become established (even with composting organic matter), as it upsets the Soil Food Web.

We can aerate soils and add the complete Soil Food Web (apart from insects) and mulch to provide the best environment for your trees. This can be installed to existing trees and as trees are planted.

How long to care for a newly planted tree or transplanted tree ?

Once a tree is planted or transplanted it will need help establishing.

Established is the point at which a tree has developed a root system with which it can support itself.

It can take around five years for a tree to extends it’s root system to this point. For larger trees or those in sub optimal planting locations, this could necessitate a much longer period.

During this period the tree needs primarily watering to compensate for a reduced root system and its much reduced ability to collect moisture.

There is also the complex issue of soil health, the Soil Food Web and fungi extending symbiotically the root system of the tree. Without these elements any tree will struggle. The soil should be aerated and have a supply of organic matter (leaves or mulch). These with moisture will create the right environment for a healthy soil. We can add all the elements of the Soil Food Web apart from insects to ensure it is present in the soil.

A tree should have sufficient rooting area and of satisfactory quality to support the tree. Without these elements the tree will always struggle.

Cheering up trees with aeration, boosting the soil food web and mulching

As arborists we love trees and hate to see them stressed and in decline.

In addition to the aeration with Air Spades and deep Air Probes, we now offer the service of introducing the complete soil food web (apart from Arthropods (but we are working on this), into the aerated soil.

A healthy soil is crucial to the health of trees. It is estimated the 90% of the problems with the tree is below ground. This improvement to the soil, followed by mulching and the leaving of leaves is the best help a tree can get.

We are now able to provide industry leading help for stressed trees, throughout the UK.

Re-pleaching / Pruning Pleached Trees / Management of Pleached Trees

Pleached trees will always try to revert to being trees. They require management.

In addition they often need re-pleaching (tying in and pruning) to increase the density of the screen or to extend the screen laterally or higher.

This management of pleached trees will also retain the formal nature of the pleached screen.

At the foot of this are images of a pleached Hornbeam aerial hedge before and after re-pleaching.

Pleached Beech will benefit from repleaching in late summer to maximise the retention of leaves through winter.

Pleached Evergreen Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) will try to create it’s natural sparse canopy so will always need management.

Pleached Hornbeam, Pleached Photinia, Pleached Crab Apple, Pleached Evergreen Oak, Pleached Camellia and Pleached Liquidambar will all need this management.

Our expert teams of Arborists can undertake this management of pleached trees and many clients use our services annually to prune or hedge pleached trees. We can extend the screens laterally or vertically (our current tallest are 9 metres plus!).

In addition our teams can remove the bamboo frames and transfer the pleached trees onto either a wire framework (much less visible) or one of Willow/Hazel/Poplar branches.

Once the desired aerial screen is in place, we can them hedge the screen to retain the form. When the branches are sufficiently rigid to hold their form we can remove the framework, leaving you with a narrow, formal, pleached aerial screen.

We also offer this service for ‘table top’ / parasol trees.

If you would like a quote, please send images of the pleached trees, your location, their height and number, if you would like them pleached taller or wider and your contact details to pleachmgt@ruskins.co.uk

Re-pleaching of pleached Hornbeam hege to return it to it’s desired form