A simple pine stump in my yard taught me more than a week of climbing school

I spent three days grinding out a big loblolly stump in my Raleigh backyard, and on the last pass I saw the root flare had been buried under 8 inches of soil when it was planted. That explained the girdling roots and the early decline I'd been hired to remove it for. How many other trees are we planting too deep just because it's the fast way to get them in the ground?

3 comments

3 Comments

tylerw7228d ago

Eight inches of soil over the root flare is crazy. I see it all the time at new housing sites where they just drop the root ball in a hole and pile dirt on top. That pine never stood a chance. It makes you wonder how many subdivision trees are just on a slow death sentence from day one.

ivan21128d ago

You're right, @tylerw72, it's a widespread planting flaw that dooms so many young trees. The slow girdling of roots under that soil mound often takes years to show obvious decline. By then, the homeowner is left wondering why their expensive landscaping is dying.

ryan_carr5917d ago

Maybe it's not always that bad though. Trees can be pretty tough sometimes. I've seen plenty planted too deep that still look fine years later. Could be some types handle it better than others, or the soil drains really well. Not saying it's good practice, but maybe the death sentence idea is a bit strong.