It’s amazed me as I’ve worked on trees, studied trees and gone to classes for years how many similarities there are with trees and the human body (or an animal for that matter). When a body has a nutrient deficiency it can show up first in the nails, skin, hair, (among many other things). When a tree has a nutrient deficiency it often shows up as chlorotic (yellowing) leaves, smaller leaves, reduced shoot growth, etc. Another interesting similarity is that just as the body needs a heathy microbiome so does the tree. Without healthy soil with lots of micro-organisms in the root zone of the tree it will have a hard time surviving without a lot of help.
The heart of our plant health care program is to help create healthy soil around the trees and plants so that the trees can better take care of themselves. To treat trees for pest, fungal issues, nutrient deficiencies, etc. without addressing the soil is like giving a person medicine without addressing the root problem which might be the diet or antibiotics killing off the good bacteria. The problem with much of our soil that we plant trees in is that it is “dead”. There is very little fungi, bacteria, insects, worms etc. In the forest setting the soil is full of these things because the leaves, sticks, and wood stays and decomposes creating food for the micro-organisms. Trees in the forest not only create their own compost but this layer acts as a layer of insulation so that the soil doesn’t get too cold or hot. This layer of leaves and debris also acts as a cushion so that rain and foot traffic doesn’t compact the soil.
What we believe is needed more in our landscapes is to imitate this natural setting as much as possible by using more compost and mulch around trees. I feel this is the first step toward healthier trees in our landscapes. Planting groupings of trees instead of individual trees helps us keep the irrigation water off the trees too. We also use organic liquid fertilizer containing carbon to help feed the micro-organisms in the soil. Other treatments such as insecticides and fungicides may be needed too, especially with all the non-native diseases and pest that are attacking our trees. Creating healthy soil should always be at the top of the list of priorities.
Please feel free to contact us for a consultation about your trees. One of our certified arborist will be happy to give you a complete inspection of your trees and recommendation for each one. They will be plotted on our software, each tree will have it’s own health record that you will be able to view. They will have pictures and will be plotted on a map too so you will know which is which.