Tree Ring Edging

[Dan R Porter]

Hello. I have not bee here in years but had something happen today that I need advice on. I oversee 8 employees on a college campus, and we have over 2000 trees on 300 acres of campus. I was asked today by a facilities director to edge, with a bed edger, the tree rings. My response was a quick summary of root systems, and he seemed understanding, but I have a suspicion he is still going to want us to do it. What a job thats going to be! 2000 trees! and all eged with a 2 foot radis 4 " deep.

So do you think this practice is okay? This tree edging thing just seems to be a phenomonoin at Missouri hospitals, where my boss originates from.

 

[Toddppm]

We edge most all of our maintenance properties except a couple. Including mine.

Are the trees mulched already? All edging really does is make it a little bit easier to keep the grass and weeds from creeping into the beds and it looks good if you can get a nice deep edge. But if you just keep the edge weeded it can still look good without all of the extra work. I edged mine once at my new house and haven't done it since, 5 years and it looks fine to me but I'm not that particular about it as long as you can tell where the beds start and stop.

Try to tell him how much of a liability it will be with all of those students walking and playing frisbee in the grass all the time. Twisted and broken ankles everywhere!
Not to mention if they are large mature trees there's probably a lot of large roots close to the surface that will get severely damaged, especially using a bed edger, in those case we use edging spades and you can only get an inch or so, not worth the effort. With the machine it will chew up the roots like a mini stump grinder and open them up for disease problems.

If your school is like the rest of the country right now with the states not able to contribute to your budget as much, that would be another angle you could use to disuade him with all of the extra labor it will cost the school to maintain the edges.

 

[treemandan]

Its probably going to knick a few roots.

 

[treeseer]

i've seen some very nice cast concrete borders that fit a mower wheel. almost zero mtc after that is in.

 

[Ed Roland]

all eged with a 2 foot radis 4 " deep.

Dan, in my minds eye i see a 4" deep trench being cut VERY close to the base of every tree? Radius being a line from the tree center to the perimeter. Not good.