Ash tree killing soil? and,.....
alaMel
13 years ago
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rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
13 years agoRelated Discussions
Soil around the trunk - will it kill the tree?
Comments (18)Additional soil placed over the root zone of a mature tree is in general not advisable to do, as it tends to impact the amount of oxygen available to the roots as well as changing the water permeability. Having said that, not all trees will resent this, as many riparian tree species have actually adapted to flooding and soil deposits over time. Here locally in California, our native Quercus agrifolia will tend to suffocate at the roots, while our native Sequoia sempervirens can easily take 3 feet of deposited soil and reroot into it with new adventitious roots from the tree trunk. So it definitely depends on the tree species and the soil type. Sandier soils will obviously have less impact than heavy clays. However, there are very few tree species that will tolerate filling soil right up to the trunk, and in general, it is always best to limit grade changes around existing trees to the bare minimum, and no more than 6 inches plus or minus and still provide positive drainage away from the tree. Where more fill is required, it is often recommended to provide subsurface pipe for air exchange in a radiating pattern within the area to be backfilled. This is probably better than nothing, but is still no guarantee that the tree will adapt to the new circumstances without complaint. Getting back to the idea of whether it makes sense to apply for a job with a company that clearly doesn't know or care what best practices are, is not a good idea, as others have stated. Do you necessarily want to get experience from someone who doesn't know what they are doing wrong?...See MoreReclaiming wood-ash contaminated soil
Comments (9)The U of Mass soil test lab will do a general test for $10 and test soluble salts for an additional $5. Maybe that's the best way to know what's going on with your soil now that you've amended it. I have never had a problem with SS, and I add plenty of wood ash to my garden and to the compost pile. More anecdotal info: I have a gardening friend who adds every bit of ash he produces all winter every winter to his garden and he gets great production. I've seen discussions on here about adding all your ash to the compost, and a lot of folks do that. Personally, I wouldn't think of it as a contaminant at all. Your soil test reveals what would be expected -- that the ash raised the ph. (I throw in a band of it with my peas in the spring, since they like high PH). So adding sulphur should have helped bring it down to where you want it. Just don't plant blueberries there :) This post was edited by elisa_Z5 on Thu, Feb 27, 14 at 9:48...See MoreWould this Kill Ash Trees?
Comments (7)What you all say makes a lot of sense. I was pretty sure that a lot of soil would be detrimental to the trees. I took a closer look and walked around a bit and have come up with maybe a better plan. The property is only about 35 feet deep and 60 feet wide. Most of the sunken parts are closest to the house and the mature trees are near the sidewalk. If we did terracing in three different levels, closest to the house could be about 6 inches. The next level could be about 4, and then within 10 feet of the trees we could get away with covering with only about 2 inches. That way it would probably give the illusion that we had built up more than we actually did. If you can picture this, do you suppose that would work? Or would it look stupid? Oh, and that way with far less soil to be brought in, we would only have to have the soil dumped near the edge of the property. We're very good with shovels and wheelbarrows =:) One more thing. If we terraced, I could put hostas, etc., into the levels and as the years went by and the soil settled, it wouldn't be as noticeable as it is with lawn. This project can be a 2 or 3 year thing if needed to hopefully get it right. Would the trees adjust if we added a few inches every year? Thanks for your input !...See MorePoor soil on bedrock around Flowering Ash
Comments (2)I checked my old Encyclopedia of Australian Gardening re this problem and it advises that in the average garden soil sulphur is usually available by the breakdown of organic matter by bacteria. It stands to reason that if the soil has an adequate supply of organic matter, the added sulphur may not be necessary. Also, alkaline soils are often deficient in iron, evident by yellowing in younger leaves. I think I'd be adding a handful or two of iron chelates before I add sulphur and see if that improves the health of the tree. Good luck B. PS. You might also consider this approach in regards to your other post....See MorealaMel
12 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
12 years agoalaMel
12 years agorhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
12 years agoTiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
12 years agoalaMel
12 years agoalaMel
12 years agomorz8 - Washington Coast
12 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
12 years agoalaMel
12 years agorhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
12 years agoalaMel
12 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
12 years agoalaMel
12 years agoalaMel
12 years agoTiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
12 years agolindac
12 years agoalaMel
12 years agoalaMel
12 years agoTiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
12 years agoalaMel
12 years agoDrew Parish
3 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
3 years ago
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