A much valued American elm in Loveland Co. has been lovingly cared for be
the local DAR ladies. The tree has some health problem and I think some of
the "improvement" around the tree has contributed to this. The tree was
planted in 1932 on a school ground which is now a Walgreen parking lot on
a busy intercection. The area out from the base of the tree is covered in
driveway pavers out from the bas for 15 to20 feet.Also, at the outer edge
of the pavers are vertical timbers( treated lumber) that form a raised
area that are topped by the pavers. All I understand about tree care goes
against what I have see done to this tree. Out from the pavers is the
paved parking lot of the Walgreens. What advice can we give the DAR to
help this spectacular tree?


--

On 6/7/2014 1:44 PM, Ron Baldridge wrote:
A much valued American elm in Loveland Co. has been lovingly cared for be
the local DAR ladies. The tree has some health problem and I think some of
the "improvement" around the tree has contributed to this. The tree was
planted in 1932 on a school ground which is now a Walgreen parking lot on
a busy intercection. The area out from the base of the tree is covered in
driveway pavers out from the bas for 15 to20 feet.Also, at the outer edge
of the pavers are vertical timbers( treated lumber) that form a raised
area that are topped by the pavers. All I understand about tree care goes
against what I have see done to this tree. Out from the pavers is the
paved parking lot of the Walgreens. What advice can we give the DAR to
help this spectacular tree?

Probably best bet is to get them to consult w/ the local extension agent
as one presumes they may not take kindly to being told they're wrong by
"just anybody".

Pictures would be good but from what you've described they're working
hard to kill it. It needs the open ground to the radius (or as close as
feasible) of the outermost branches for water collection and aeration
and the ground contour should never be raised above that originally
established.

--

Ron Baldridge wrote:

The area out from the base of the tree is covered in driveway
pavers out from the base for 15 to 20 feet. Also, at the outer
edge of the pavers are vertical timbers( treated lumber) that
form a raised area that are topped by the pavers.

What advice can we give the DAR to help this spectacular tree?

Tell them to contact local media, as well as prepare some material to
post on fecebook and youtube.

Retailers don't want negative exposure on social media, so do what you
can to tell them it's in their best interest to turn a bad-news story
into a green, environmentally friendly, happy-ending story.

I would take some pictures down to your local university and show them to some of the arborists in the Faculty of Biology. If the university has a Forestry department, I'd talk to them too.

Personally, I'm concerned that the tree may not be getting enough water if it's surrounded by those pavers for only 15 to 20 feet. Most people presume that a tree's root system is a mirror image of the tree's branch network, but nothing could be further from the truth. The root network is shallow and extends out considerably further than the branches as depicted in this diagram:

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/mg/gard...ages/633-1.jpg

This is why transpanting is so stressful to the tree... most of it's root system is cut off in the transplanting procedure.

Take a picture of the tree from a distance showing where the pavers end. You want the pavers to extend out a good 3 or 4 times out as far as the branches extend. Roots that are under the paved part of the parking lot won't get any water and will die. When part of the root system on a tree dies, a proportionate part of the crown of the tree also dies. The converse is also true. If part of the tree's crown dies or is cut off, a proportionate part of the root system of the tree dies as well.

arborcaresolutions.com.au/treerootfacts.pdf‎

Google "Tree Roots: Facts and Fallicies"

On Sat, 07 Jun 2014 18:44:02 +0000, Ron Baldridge
wrote:

A much valued American elm in Loveland Co. has been lovingly cared for be
the local DAR ladies. The tree has some health problem and I think some of
the "improvement" around the tree has contributed to this. The tree was
planted in 1932 on a school ground which is now a Walgreen parking lot on
a busy intercection. The area out from the base of the tree is covered in
driveway pavers out from the bas for 15 to20 feet.Also, at the outer edge
of the pavers are vertical timbers( treated lumber) that form a raised
area that are topped by the pavers. All I understand about tree care goes
against what I have see done to this tree. Out from the pavers is the
paved parking lot of the Walgreens. What advice can we give the DAR to
help this spectacular tree?

I'd tell the Daughters of the American Revolution to remove the pavers
and give the trunk some room. Bad enough it is planted adjacent a
parking lot.

dpb wrote:
On 6/7/2014 1:44 PM, Ron Baldridge wrote:
A much valued American elm in Loveland Co. has (had it's bas cover with pavers)

....snip...

Pictures would be good but from what you've described they're working
hard to kill it. It needs the open ground to the radius (or as close as
feasible) of the outermost branches for water collection and aeration...

....snip...

Makes one wonder how any tree on a city street survives.

http://www.provo.org/Home/ShowImage?...67503089870000

http://localecology.org/images/treew...anetrees_1.jpg

"nestork" wrote in message


Personally, I'm concerned that the tree may not be getting enough water
if it's surrounded by those pavers for only 15 to 20 feet. Most people
presume that a tree's root system is a mirror image of the tree's branch
network, but nothing could be further from the truth. The root network
is shallow and extends out considerably further than the branches as
depicted in this diagram:

That's true but pavers are permeable. And trees thrive in many cities
almost totally surrounded by concrete. I'm wondering how long the parking
lot has been there?

We bricked in our courtyard 3-4 years ago. The bricks surround a large oak
tree, their distance varying from it by 8-12'. The tree gets just as much
water as it did originally...when it rains, a bit may run off toward it but
at least 80% goes straight down. Same with air...permeable to water,
permeable to air.



--

dadiOH
____________________________

Winters getting colder? Tired of the rat race?
Taxes out of hand? Maybe just ready for a change?
Check it out... http://www.floridaloghouse.net

On Sun, 8 Jun 2014 00:52:42 +0200, nestork
wrote:

The root network
is shallow and extends out considerably further than the branches as
depicted in this diagram:


True for most trees but not all (palm trees have a round root ball)

http://floridatreescapes.com/Portals/0/Gallery/Album/1/RootBall.jpg

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/mg/gard...ages/633-1.jpg

This is why transpanting is so stressful to the tree... most of it's
root system is cut off in the transplanting procedure.

Stress can be reduced by root pruning the tree in two stages. Cut a
half moon shape around the trunk and leave it for awhile, maybe a
couple of months or more - water it also. Then at a later time do the
other side - half moon. It really does reduce the stress.