Tree World - View Single Post - Help I'm being taken over| Preventing sucker growth

TreeSpecialist · 11th April 2008, 02:26 PM

You're right to say that homeowners, landscapers, then well meaning (so-called) arborists in that order, plant trees wrong. All trees (IMO) should be planted 2 inches high.

Most trees settle.

I would rather look across a lawn and see root flares from 100 feet away than see a "telephone pole" shaped trunk growing in a lush lawn.

Selling root collar excavation (RCX) is a hard sell. You're getting someone to believe what you know is likely to be found but can't be seen at the time of the sale.

I've lost a lot of money on hand dug RCX's cause you never know what you're going to find or how long it will take. At least with an air spade, it's much quicker with little to no damage to the part of the tree you're trying to save.

Too deep = adventious roots by the thousands!

Down here in Zone 8, we have a problem with container grown trees - girdling roots! When the trunk reaches the size of the container it came in, the leaves start getting smaller and smaller as the roots strangle the tree.

Planting them too deep contributes to the problem as well.

Our nursery men also insist upon pinching the tops to make cute little lollipop trees to sell with 7 to 15 co-dominant stems originating from a single point on the trunk. Included bark? you bet!

When I was younger and more emotional, these things bothered me. I sat as chairman on a number of public boards and commissions and non-profit corporations to teach the public and other arborists the errors of their ways.

Today, I waste less heart beats and simply realize that it just means more money for me. With every storm, I have more clients to educate, one at a time, on the correct way to prune, plant, or cable and why XYZ tree company screwed up their tree and set it up for failure.

Attached are a few pictures of a typical Quercus virginiana (live oak) root collar exam.

11th April 2008, 02:26 PM	#15 (permalink)
TreeSpecialist Semi-mature vigorous tree Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 152	Re: Help I'm being taken over\| Preventing sucker growth You're right to say that homeowners, landscapers, then well meaning (so-called) arborists in that order, plant trees wrong. All trees (IMO) should be planted 2 inches high. Most trees settle. I would rather look across a lawn and see root flares from 100 feet away than see a "telephone pole" shaped trunk growing in a lush lawn. Selling root collar excavation (RCX) is a hard sell. You're getting someone to believe what you know is likely to be found but can't be seen at the time of the sale. I've lost a lot of money on hand dug RCX's cause you never know what you're going to find or how long it will take. At least with an air spade, it's much quicker with little to no damage to the part of the tree you're trying to save. Too deep = adventious roots by the thousands! Down here in Zone 8, we have a problem with container grown trees - girdling roots! When the trunk reaches the size of the container it came in, the leaves start getting smaller and smaller as the roots strangle the tree. Planting them too deep contributes to the problem as well. Our nursery men also insist upon pinching the tops to make cute little lollipop trees to sell with 7 to 15 co-dominant stems originating from a single point on the trunk. Included bark? you bet! When I was younger and more emotional, these things bothered me. I sat as chairman on a number of public boards and commissions and non-profit corporations to teach the public and other arborists the errors of their ways. Today, I waste less heart beats and simply realize that it just means more money for me. With every storm, I have more clients to educate, one at a time, on the correct way to prune, plant, or cable and why XYZ tree company screwed up their tree and set it up for failure. Attached are a few pictures of a typical Quercus virginiana (live oak) root collar exam.