# Recovery from construction damage



## Jace (Aug 29, 2012)

A year ago the construction boss of this bldg and road called me on these trees to get my opinion. He was just finishing up the project. At that time there were a couple dead. I told him there would be many more to come since he do anything reasonable to protect the trees. Pavement practically right up against the trees. Backhoes ripping out roots digging for curb clearance etc...Compaction everywhere. 
Been a year now, and the owner's maintenance guy called me in to look at these trees and see if I can save any. 

We have been in a severe drought all summer, so that has no doubt made it practically impossible for these trees to survive after the devastating constr damage.

Here are my thoughts 

Dig back any filled in areas around trunk flare where to deep.(If reasonable)
Soil test in a couple areas and replace any lacking nutrients.
2-3 " deep mulch around as many trees as they will do,(as far out as they will)

(They have not watered them worth a dang, little late now too...but anyway), weekly 1.5 -2" on as much roots to and beyond drip line as possible. They have no sprinkler system or anything so I'll just advice them to do whatever it takes to get some good deep watering every week to 1.5 weeks..

Go up in trees and check to see which trees still have "green life" just under the bark, and which ones are 3/4 crunchy toast. Remove the ones that are toast and try to save any that are stressed and/or dormant from heat and dry. Remove dead branches at some point in the future of ones we try to save.

I do not own an air spade. I went to a tree protection workshop early this year, and davey tree used one there. This might be a good opertunity for me to invest in one, seein as how they're over a thousand bucks. Anyway, if I air spade out some trenches 7-8" deep(?) in between main roots in a "star shape' out from the trunk, and then POSSIBLY follow some of the roots out...Then replace aeriated roots with some good soil.

Thanks for any help and constructive criticism...

(1st photos has hardly ANYPLACE for roots, not sure they stand a chance..)
Ill try to get better pictures..


----------



## Raintree (Aug 29, 2012)

A bit difficult to tell from the pics, I don't see anything worth saving.

Can you sell removals & a re-plant?


----------



## Jace (Aug 31, 2012)

15, tree in front is probly history... 
13 & 17 are just a photo of a few trees, all are stressed from constr compaction & no doubt some root tears, and drought we've had.
14 is a hickory that just turned brown, probly dead, but possibly dormant I havent checked stem "bendage" to be sure. 
18 I'd like to save

I removed 3 dead trees directly in front yesterday. (3rd picture in opening post)
I dont care to mess with replants, so I usually refer them to the local nursery.


----------



## Jace (Aug 31, 2012)

Tree at a different location. Not sure if I can do anything to help it survive or not. Added on garage 8 years ago, is only thing that may have affected root area on side of dieback.
Not sure if a girdling root is possible on that side..?? 
Trunk base is pretty flat on that side, no flare really. Looks to have some rotten it it too. Didnt know if air spading or digging out around that side would reveal anything.

First and third photo look like 2 different trees, but they are the same. Just each side.

It is a small possibility, that the dead looking side may not be as dead as it looks..

Any thots of how to this one alive, or is it too far gone?


----------



## Urban Forester (Aug 31, 2012)

16 + 19 toast for sure. 21 there won't be much left, massive branch suckering indicates SIGNIFICANT root death. What a shame...


----------



## landscape doc (Sep 4, 2012)

*InJect Sugar solution into bole empty tree tech fertilizer capsules*

If the soil tilth is not destroyed, injecting sugar solution using empty tree tech fertilizer capsules would work if there is anything left in the trees. you will have to cut out dead wood. but I have gotten amazing results in a sort time when he trees are not too far gone.

Bob


----------



## Incomplete (Sep 4, 2012)

landscape doc said:


> If the soil tilth is not destroyed, injecting sugar solution using empty tree tech fertilizer capsules would work if there is anything left in the trees. you will have to cut out dead wood. but I have gotten amazing results in a sort time when he trees are not too far gone.
> 
> Bob



More info please: maybe start a new thread/tutorial?


----------



## landscape doc (Sep 5, 2012)

tree tech fertilizer capsules can be filled with an almost saturated sugar solution in injected into stressed trees to great effect. I have done this hundred of times and unless the root or vascular system is shot, I can get good to amazing results.


----------



## landscape doc (Sep 5, 2012)

What questions do you have?


----------



## Ed Roland (Sep 5, 2012)

Triaged herbicide damage. Injecting (wounding) sucrose to bypass herbicide blockade of photosynthesis after poisoning has been shown to be effective. 

Recommending trunk injections of sugar on a public tree care forum for every construction stressed specie? :msp_thumbdn:

Looking forward to seeing the data. 
ed


----------



## Urban Forester (Sep 8, 2012)

Ed Roland said:


> Looking forward to seeing the data.



 Me too!


----------



## beastmaster (Sep 11, 2012)

found this interesting piece: http://joa.isa-arbor.com/request.asp?JournalID=1&ArticleID=3101&Type=2


----------



## Ed Roland (Sep 12, 2012)

Annual wounding with injections of "sugar" to combat construction stress is far from becoming any kind of Best Management Practice or Ansi Standard. 



landscape doc said:


> tree tech fertilizer capsules can be filled with an almost saturated sugar solution in injected into stressed trees to great effect. I have done this hundred of times



Never mind the legality of reusing the empty capsules... But this seems completely irresponsible. Define dose. 

The natural biological process that leads to sugars being "injected" into declining stems is from the epicormic sprout. Leave them be on declining/older trees. Promote them on stressed trees.

The article Beast posted is interesting. It shows we can influence growth by annually injecting carbohydrates into the trunk. "It seems the effect of injections was greater in the aboveground portions of the tree" http://joa.isa-arbor.com/request.asp...ID=3101&Type=2

Root density might be more important than top growth to a tree suffering root damage. Jus sayin. :msp_thumbup:


----------



## Urban Forester (Sep 12, 2012)

It was an interesting paper, but I think it raised more questions than it answered. The system used was "like what is used to inject Alamo for Oak Wilt". If thats the case then it was a macro-infusion (under Pressure 15 - 20 psi) and not ambient "capsule" pressure. This can cause vessel/tracheid disruption (not a horrible thing) but exactly where did the sugar end up, and at what concentration. While they did analysis leaf tissue, was root tissue checked. He seemed to think that a % of the sugar was used in defense and storage. I'd like to see one of the trees cut into a cross section to see what the CODIT response was, i.e. height and width of discolored wood in the "injection columns". Did the sugar "energize" the codit response to the injection sites, sounds kinda redundant, but that would be (to me) the most interesting possibilty. Since he mentioned that testing in most cases showed that a fixed % of the "solution" was not found, therefore storage and defense were most likely utilizing it (No s---!!!). Cross sectioning roots would've been VERY interesting as (I believe) the highest % of "solution" would've been residing there. I just find it difficult to believe that increasing growth is the answer to overcoming stress. But I could be wrong...


----------



## Jace (Sep 20, 2012)

Any opinions on air spading out a large portion of the roots, and amending the soil....maybe bring some better soil(top soil testing good)l in back around the roots extending way out from the trees afterwards?Maybe some essentals plus 1-0-1...??

(Doing so on the trees that show the best chance of survival out the many)

This coud be a good opertunity for me to buy an air spade, but bad as I'd like to have one, I don't wanna do it "in vain". If it won't help here's no sense in wasting someone's money.


----------

