Ficus Planted Too Deep (video)

[NickfromWI]

I've been on a tear making tree care videos! Here's one about some trees that died in a hedge row...

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/w2x--2AfJQk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Thoughts? What'd I miss?

love
nick

 

[MasterBlaster]

Not much!

 

[Bermy]

For what its worth in addition to what you've said...I would hazard to say that the waterlogging suffocated the roots, they died and the fungus is secondary to that. With the green still evident higher up the stem, the phloem up there is still transporting what was left of the food from the leaves...but the dead roots and lower trunk compromised water getting up...dead tree.

Some people would do that scrape and say...'oh the tree is still alive, let's give it some more time and see if it recovers', you did a great job in highlighting the wet soil and the dead fungus ridden bark below, making it clear that we have to look at all parts of the tree and all conditions, not just stop at the first obvious one.

It would seem the waterlogging is the issue, the fungus is opportunistic...what d'ya think?

I often tell people trees rarely die from just one cause, more likely a combination of things, again you highlighted wet soil on its own is not necessarily a problem, but combined with being planted too deep, well, there you go.

Nice job!

 

[NickfromWI]

It would seem the waterlogging is the issue, the fungus is opportunistic...what d'ya think?!

In communicating with the client, my wife asked me a question that showed she thought that the fungus is what killed the tree. I didn't mean for it to come across like that. You're exactly right. Roots rotted and died, THEN got fungus, then the fungus worked its way up.

Crap. Now I gotta redo the whole thing.


love
nick

 

[CurSedVoyce]

LOL.. ahhhh the tribulations of the order of tree death .....

 

[Bermy]

Sorry!

 

[treelooker]

Not sure y ou have to redo; the order of events is kind of a technicality; more precise, but you were accurate.

Good stuff!

 

[Tim_B.]

For what its worth in addition to what you've said...I would hazard to say that the waterlogging suffocated the roots, they died and the fungus is secondary to that. With the green still evident higher up the stem, the phloem up there is still transporting what was left of the food from the leaves...but the dead roots and lower trunk compromised water getting up...dead tree.

Some people would do that scrape and say...'oh the tree is still alive, let's give it some more time and see if it recovers', you did a great job in highlighting the wet soil and the dead fungus ridden bark below, making it clear that we have to look at all parts of the tree and all conditions, not just stop at the first obvious one.

It would seem the waterlogging is the issue, the fungus is opportunistic...what d'ya think?

I often tell people trees rarely die from just one cause, more likely a combination of things, again you highlighted wet soil on its own is not necessarily a problem, but combined with being planted too deep, well, there you go.

Nice job!

Outstanding post, Bermy! Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

Tim

 

[Tim_B.]

I've been on a tear making tree care videos! Here's one about some trees that died in a hedge row...

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/w2x--2AfJQk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Thoughts? What'd I miss?

love
nick

Ok, Nick! I just watched your video for the first time. (I must have been too busy the first time I read through this thread.) I think you did a really great job on this video! You think and speak in a logical, clear fashion; your narration was really good, in my opinion.

With regard to what Bermy said, about multiple issues causing demise of a tree, of what import is the fact that the surface roots are buried? If the soil is waterlogged because it has been set up with poor drainage, and no air can get to the roots, what dlfference would it make if the surface roots were also buried?

You know, I may have just answered my own question. If the surface roots were not buried, and therefore not waterlogged, that small portion of the root system would be above water and able to acquire at least some air, if that is how root systems even work. That small amount of air may keep it alive, though really hurting because of the rest of the root system being drowned.

I know it's too late in this situation, because of the other trees already there, but I wonder about the idea of a raised bed for trees like this, possibly with gravel underneith, and maybe even some kind of drainage tubing to direct excess water away from the bed. I'm not sure, but I think they may do stuff like I'm describing for rose beds. Just wondering if it could work for trees, too.

Thanks for posting the video, and for any comments you care to make.

Tim

 

[sotc]

"Minimize the likelihood", I say that all the time!

I often tell people trees rarely die from just one cause, more likely a combination of things,

I say that too but usually add in "other than a chain saw"

 

[Bermy]

Haha!

Or a weedwhacker...

 

[NickfromWI]

"Minimize the likelihood", I say that all the time!

That's basically every other phrase I say!


love
nick