Tree Maintenance

We are having some extremely warm weather here in the Tri-Cities for July. But honestly, it’s typically like this. With that in mind, ensuring that our trees and landscaping are being taken care of, we should already be prepared for what to do.

Best Management Practices for Tree Preservation
The largest, most mature trees are not always the best to preserve. Younger, more vigorous trees can usually survive and adapt to the stresses of construction better. Try to maintain the diversity of species and ages. A certified arborist can advise on which trees are more sensitive to compaction, grade changes, and root damage. Consider the following factors when deciding which trees to preserve:

• Life expectancy and present age
• Health and disease susceptibility
• Structure
• Cleanliness
• Aesthetic values
• Comfort
• Wildlife
• Adaptability to the proposed development
• Survival needs of the tree
• Relationship to other trees

A tree preservation plan must be prepared which includes the tree inventory and tree protection measures for the project. This should be separate from the Landscape Plan. See the City of Kennewick’s Tree Preservation Plan Checklist.

Planting new trees in the right spaces will help to establish the trees’ longevity and continued health while maximizing their benefits to the site. Consult Top Tree LLC when selecting species. Many factors influence the suitability of specific species to specific sites.

We will continue this series over the next few months covering a wide array of topics. Don’t forget, when you’re looking for the best tree maintenance company in the Tri-Cities, we’d love the chance to earn your business.

We are in the middle of a beautiful summer season and this is when we see more and more people out in their yards taking care of their trees, shrubs, and other greenery. We think it’s a good time to go over some “best practices when it comes to your trees.

Site Planning for Preservation
Tree preservation should be considered when creating a site plan. A tree survey that
identifies species, age, location, and health will help determine the best site layout. Once
a tree survey has been completed, the following criteria should be considered to ensure
successful preservation:

• Critical areas such as floodplains and steep slopes should be left in their natural condition.
• Roadways should be positioned away from valuable stands, and along original contours to minimize cuts and fills. Cuts and fills present one of the most common causes of tree mortality on construction sites.
• Utilities should be positioned away from the Tree Protection Zone. Utilities located in the same
  trench can minimize root damage from trenching.
• Parking and storage should be away from the Tree Protection Zone.
• Erosion and sediment control measures should be located at the limits of clearing
  and grading to avoid sediment deposition within the Tree Protection Zone’s of preserved trees.

When planning sediment basins, retention basins, or ponds, avoid locations
requiring extensive grading and tree removal. Trenchless silt fence construction
should be used in Critical Root Zone / Tree Protection Zone area.

An inventory of all trees on the site must be conducted, including:

• A visual assessment (photos) of the trees for health and condition.
• Recommendations on which trees should be preserved.
• Construction management recommendations regarding tree protection for trees identified to be preserved.

We will continue this series over the next few months covering a wide array of topics. Don’t forget, when you’re looking for the best tree maintenance company in West Richland, we’d love the chance to earn your business.

We are in the middle of a beautiful summer season and this is when we see more and more people out in their yards taking care of their trees, shrubs, and other greenery. We think it’s a good time to go over some “best practices when it comes to your trees.

Surface impacts:

• Wind damage: Trees develop strong anchorage only where it is needed, so trees in groups may have less secure anchorage. Removing some trees from a group will expose the remaining trees to excessive wind velocities and lead to windthrown trees.
• Excessive pruning: Trees are pruned to prevent damage to utility wires and buildings, but careless pruning can cause tree death. When too many branches are removed or the branches have been pruned improperly, the tree may not be able to sustain itself or may experience decay.
• Physical injury to trunk and crown: Construction equipment can injure the aboveground portion of a tree by breaking branches, tearing the bark, and wounding the trunk. These injuries are permanent and, if extensive, can be fatal.
• Root zone impacts: Raising the grade can interfere with gas exchange and suffocate roots, and can also raise the water table and drown the roots.
• Lowering the grade removes topsoil and feeder roots, exposing the other roots to drying and freezing. Lowering the grade can also lower the water table and cause drought.
• Compacting the soil within the drip line blocks air and water from the roots.
• Chemicals dumped in the soil can change soil chemistry and can be toxic to trees.
• Cutting of roots: The roots of the tree are found mostly in the upper six to twelve inches of the soil.

In a mature tree, the roots extend far from the trunk – typically growing a distance of one to three times the height of the tree. The amount of damage a tree can suffer from root loss depends, in part, on how close to the tree the cut is made. Severing one major root can cause the loss of five to twenty percent of the root system. Trenching and excavating in the root zone can damage as much as forty percent of the root system, causing tree death within a few years.

Trees can require several years to adjust to injury and environmental changes that occur during construction. Stressed trees are more prone to health problems such as disease and insect infestation. Consulting with an arborist about continued maintenance of trees is essential, along with continued monitoring and periodic evaluation for declining health and safety hazards.

We will continue this series over the next few months covering a wide array of topics. Don’t forget, when you’re looking for the best tree maintenance company in Pasco, we’d love the chance to earn your business.