Is the old oak in your backyard not looking as it should? Leaves dropping while they ought to be green, or putting on color ahead of time? One has to wonder if the tree you have put in for decades is having some quiet difficulties below ground.
At West Coast Tree Care, Inc. we have been tending to the trees of the Central Peninsula and South Bay Area for years, since 1992. Our ISA-certified arborists will tell you that a mature tree seldom goes without warning before it fails; the indications are there if one knows how to spot them. For a trained perspective on the matter, call us at (408) 351-6155.
You cannot expect a root-bound or stressed tree to right itself. The more time passes with the condition unheeded, the more of an undertaking it is to put right. We have put together the warning signs you should be on the lookout for.
The Meaning of Root-Bound
When a tree’s roots can no longer make room to spread, it is root-bound. This is common where a tree has been left in too tight a space, or was set down in compacted earth or in proximity to hardscape. Rather than extending out to take in water and nutrients and put down an anchor, the roots turn in on themselves and in time can choke off the trunk they are supposed to be upholding.
Even well after planting a mature specimen can come by this ailment. Homeowners are apt to overlook it since the trouble is mostly subterranean, until the canopy gives it away.
Canopy Symptoms
Stress will make its presence known in the leaves and branches first. Look for any of the following:
- A thinner canopy or leaves of a smaller size
- Leaf drop or a change of color before the season warrants
- Branches on the upper part of the tree that are dead or on their way
- Where the crown was once full, now the foliage is sparse
- New growth that is stunted or pale
- Dieback or branches prone to snapping
An occasional bad season is not the end of the world. But year in and year out these are the tree’s way of saying something is amiss at the roots.
What to See at the Base
Some of the best evidence is at the bottom of the trunk. Make your way over and inspect the point where it comes to the ground:
- No flare at the base, the trunk just going into the soil like a telephone pole
- Roots making circles around the trunk
- Cracked or receding soil
- Soft decay or mushrooms at the root collar
- An increasing lean
- Girdled or exposed roots
A healthy tree of age will widen at the base much like a wine glass. If the trunk is plunging straight down with no such flare, chances are the roots are circling underfoot. That is as clear a sign of a root-bound tree as you will find.
The Source of the Stress
We are often the cause of a tree’s stress, with no ill intent. Oxygen is denied to the roots by compacted soil from construction or foot traffic. They can be drowned with too much water. Mulch heaped against the trunk is an invitation to rot. Then there is landscaping that alters drainage and puts a perfectly good root system in flood or drought.
But there is no need for despair; an early catch means most trees can be put back on track. A bit of aeration to the soil, a change in watering, or having an arborist deal with girdling roots can do the trick. Act before the decline is irreversible.
Make a Call to a Pro
It is simple enough to see a problem but harder to put a name to it. You may not be able to tell if a leaning tree is stable or waiting for the next storm to bring it down. And checking for concealed decay in a mature tree is no weekend pursuit.
Our arborists have the education to match their ISA certification and we apply what we have learned in the art and science of arboriculture to every job we do. Angi-rated and serving San Jose, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Cupertino, Palo Alto, Los Altos, Menlo Park and all the surrounding communities, we are the ones to call.
Should you see any of the above in your mature tree, do not put it off until a limb or the trunk gives out. Contact West Coast Tree Care, Inc. at (408) 351-6155. We are here Monday to Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm to help you safeguard the trees on your property, and we provide free estimates so there are no surprises on the bill.
