Loading…
9
My neighbor's silver maple went from a death sentence to full shade in 2 growing seasons
Two springs ago my neighbor's silver maple had maybe 40% of its canopy left and the trunk was cracking near the base where it had been hit by a mower years back. He had a guy out to look at it and got quoted $1,800 to take it down, so instead he spent about $300 on a certified arborist consult and some root flare work. They pulled the mulch volcano back, air spaded the girdling roots, and did a deep water schedule through that first summer. Last week I stood in its shade for the first time since I moved here in 2021 and the thing is completely filled back in. I'm trying to understand what actually did the heavy lifting here because I have a red oak with similar trunk damage and I want to try the same playbook. Was it the root work, the watering, or just dumb luck on a tough species like silver maple?
1 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In1 Comment
kim_ramirez310d ago
The timing of the root work probably mattered more than the work itself. Silver maples are water hogs, so the deep water schedule kept it alive while the cut roots healed, and most folks skip that part. Your red oak needs the same root flare fix but way less water, so don't copy that schedule or you'll drown it.
2