DIAGNOSING TREE ISSUES Call 228-314-0400, 504-858-0397, or 228-363-2563 Over several weeks of time, I have been present at meetings and have been in conversations where many tree & soil questions have been asked. On this page, I have provided a "Tree Diagnosis Questionnaire" which may help us move more quickly toward solving a variety of tree problems. Soil issues are included. When we discover that our trees are stressed, we usually want to discover causal relationships. What is affecting the health of our trees. Why do we see so much decline? Why can't our trees recover from the hurricane damage? What can we do beyond what we are already doing? (This questionnaire was developed by TRIDENT ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES & TECHNOLOGIES, INC. with assistance provided by published works of P.P. Pirone and others, as presented in their book TREE MAINTENANCE, Sixth Edition, 1988, Oxford University Press, Inc. TREE DIAGNOSIS QUESTIONNAIRE Researched and written by John Wear 1 Briefly state what you think is wrong with the subject tree/trees. 2 Do you think the tree/trees are a danger to life, property, or specific structures? (Please include addresses of the site where problems exist.) 3 What kind of tree? On the site you mentioned, where is the tree located? Circle choice as to location: street side / on lawn / near house / in park / near water / etc. Are you concerned about more than one tree? 4 Are problems observable up high in the tree canopy? Are problems observable throughout the limbs and trunk of the tree? 5 At and around the base of the tree, has the soil depth changed? Has the soil type changed? If the soil depth or type has changed, has the change occurred within the past 5 to 7 years? What type of soil was used if fill work was done around the tree. 6 In the past 2 years has construction work been done around the trees? Has heavy equipment been operated, or parked on the roots of the trees? Has heavy construction material been stacked and stored on the roots? If the answer is yes, to either of the above questions in item "6," please provide a brief narrative telling about permits which may be on file regarding the work which was done. Please provide the names of property owners, construction companies, inspectors, code enforcement officers, and other officials of the local municipality, county, state or any other government agency or private company which may have jurisdiction and some awareness of tree protection ordinances which have been in force prior to, during, and after the construction approval, through the time of construction, and after completion and "sign off." 7 Has work been done on this/these trees recently? Has pruning been done recently? Was the work extensive? Has fertilizing or pest control work been done, lately? Has a broad leaf weed control been used around the tree? Has any kind of chemical amendment or control substance been applied to the lawn or to the tree within the past three months? 8 Is this tree or are these trees young? How long since planting? How deep were the holes dug for the planting? What treatments have been applied to the trees since planting? SOIL DIAGNOSIS Four questions concerning the soil around troubled trees; (you will need to dig a little). The following four questions are particularly important. 9 Is the soil around the tree tight and hard or is the soil loose and permeable? Does the soil seem loamy, sandy, or more like clay? Is the soil covered by asphalt, concrete, gravel or crushed rock, brick, or specialized permeable paving? Is grass around the tree? Are special plantings around the tree trunk? Is the tree surrounded by debris, weeds, trash. Is the area around the tree free of clutter? 10 Can you determine the depth of the topsoil around the tree by simple means of probing the ground about four feet from the root flare? (near the base of the trunk) Also, examine the topsoil depth out near the drip line. Does there seem to be much organic matter within the soil profile? 11 Check the soil pH about 6 to 8 inches deep at several locations within the root area. Use a pH test probe to check pH reaction in several places around the tree, from the root flare out to the drip line. 12 Does water stand around the tree after a heavy rain, or does the water percolate through the soil profile and into the root area? |
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| ROOTZONE HUMUS, applied to the root areas of your trees. can help solve many of the problems caused by poor soil quality. |
| Testing for humus, Gulf islands. |
