Tree Maintenance

Urban trees are subjected to stressful living conditions that often compromise their natural resilience and strength. The trees suffer because urban activities often harden the soils near the trees or pave over the soil completely. This reduces the amount of air and water available to the tree roots. It also often restricts the area where roots can grow, so the tree develops a smaller and weaker root system that will not support the tree. Weak trees then often become more vulnerable to various diseases that further compromise the strength of the trees. The combination of the drought over the last 5 years followed by months of excessive rain in 2003 also caused a dangerous mix of shrunken tree roots and saturated soils. The trees just can’t support themselves.

Homeowners can provide regular maintenance to their young and mature trees that can help prevent some of these conditions.

Regular Maintenance
1. Mulch: place mulch around the roots but not next to the trunk. Extend as far as possible to the drip line. Apply only 2-4 “ of mulch.
2. Water: regular watering schedule in times of drought. Water mature trees and younger ones. Water newly planted trees weekly until established. Mature trees are more variable in their needs, but during long periods of little or no rain, they must be watered at least monthly. Apply approximately 2 gallons per 1” diameter of your tree. Draw a circle on the ground that is the same diameter from the trunk as the outermost tips of the branches. This is the critical root zone that must receive an even distribution of the water. Apply the water slowly so that it will soak into the ground.
3. Prune: Trees need regular maintenance as well for trimming of dead and weak limbs. Never allow your tree to be ‘topped’ –this is illegal. Do not allow anyone who prunes your trees to climb it with spurs. If you are not sure what needs trimming or can’t do the pruning yourself, consult an arborist certified by the International Society of Arboriculture (see below) to evaluate the tree. Only hire a tree company to trim the trees if they are certified by the ISA.
4. Remove vines and groundcover that are growing on the trunk and into the branches. Most common in Atlanta are English Ivy, Wisteria, and Kudzu. These vines should not be growing on the trunk or around the base of the tree. Groundcovers that are maintained around the base but away from the trunk and exposed roots are acceptable. Consider that these plants will be using moisture from the soil that the tree needs when you calculate your water amounts for the tree.
5. Observe your tree. Look for mushroom-like fruiting bodies on the trunks and in the soil around the root zone. These are indicators of various fungi that can damage the tree. Look for cankers on the trunk or branches. Observe the leaves to determine if they are a healthy green color. Consult with an ISA certified arborist to determine if your tree is suffering from a fungus or other disease. The arborist will know what kind of treatment to give your tree.

Hiring an arborist certified by the International Society of Arboriculture: consult the yellow pages of the phone book or consult the web (www.natlarb.com). You should have your mature trees checked every few years by a certified arborist.

The company that you hire to evaluate your trees may find that a tree is a hazard tree. Any tree found to be a hazard tree must be permitted for removal by the City of Atlanta. However, that type of permit does not require a posting or appeal period. Therefore, once you have the permit, the tree may be removed. Call the City Arborist Office (404-330-6874) to request the permit; they will inspect the tree. The City Arborist can also perform the evaluations of the conditions of your trees. You may call the city Arborist or hire a tree company with a certified arborist to make the general evaluations of the health of your trees.

Two good web sites for more information about urban tree care:

1. The Georgia Forestry Commission: www.gfc.state.ga.us. This site offers information applicable to Atlanta tree care and environmental conditions. It also has information for finding and hiring certified arborists.
2. www.treelink.org. This site has a variety of links to tree related topics.