Chinese Elm in Shock after Construction

[Seth Hettena]

Edit: Updated with photos.

Hello all!
We have two large, mature and beautiful Chinese elms in the middle of our backyard in San Diego. These trees are massive. The trunks are roughly 16" in diameter, and the branches spread about 25-30 feet or so.

The problem for us was the mess. After 10 years, we got tired of the leaves they dump, so my wife and I decided to install some concrete pavers around them.

We chose to use brick pavers. We dug to a depth of 7" and laid a base down that runs from our house to the tree so the soil on the other side of the trees is untouched. We left a 4 foot round soil planter around the trunk of both trees and our contractor tried to minimize damage. He told us he only cut one small root about an inch in diameter.

Nevertheless, one of the two trees has gone into shock. Most of the leaves turned yellow and fell off The tree expert at a local nursery told us not to worry, a tree that size would recover. But we are worried.

Is there something we should do? Any thoughts or advise would be appreciated.

 

[Zale]

Pictures would be nice in oder to make a better evaluation.

 

[Raintree]

A massive Siberian Elm would have a diameter of 5-6ft your 16 inchers are young pups.
90% of the tree feeder roots are in the top few inches of soil. The damage is done, for now all you can do is keep it watered.

 

[treeseer]

"our contractor tried to minimize damage. He told us he only cut one small root about an inch in diameter." Wish i had a nickel for every time I heard that stinkin pile of BS.

I'm not sure how paving through the root system helps manage leaves when they fall...mulching would have made less maintenance.

There may be a lot you can do beyond watering, but impossible to say without pics.

 

[Seth Hettena]

Thanks for your responses. Here are some photos of the tree as it currently looks plus a view of the planter. I should add that we kept a mulch bed below the tree for many years, but the problem was we would up not using the backyard as much because it was such a mess.

Please let me know if you need any more information.

.

 

[Raintree]

Doesn't look good for your tree, the well wall around the stump has a dug footing, yes?

 

[treeseer]

Doesn't look good for your tree, the well wall around the stump has a dug footing, yes?

Good question. Sorry Seth, the best case might be to keep it watered and see how it leafs out next season. It's a tough species (U. parvifolia?) but it looks severely impacted.

 

[Seth Hettena]

Thanks. No footing was dug under the planter. It's at the same depth as everything else. I should mention that our second chinese elm, also covered with pavers and holding up my kids' treehouse, looks great.

 

[blades]

Sorry to say this but that is an invasive species, around here they are large weeds. take it down grind out the stump and plant something decent

 

[treeseer]

blades i get a lot of volunteer seedlings from my 3, but 'invasive' is an oft-exaggerated term imo.

"I should mention that our second chinese elm, also covered with pavers and holding up my kids' treehouse, looks great."

It does, *so far*. Ya gotta think in tree time...maybe that one had a little less damage, or a little more energy in reserve.

It's hard to advise any treatment that does not require the pavers being removed, at least temporarily.

 

[capetrees]

water water water