Letters To The Editor: April 1998

However, as a consulting arborist and landscape architect, I feel compelled to suggest that the list of "How to Kill a Tree" is missing one of the most common causes of tree facilities - the landscape contractor.

Let me explain. Whereas proper mulching is very important to the success of trees and shrubs, improper mulching is killing hundreds, maybe thousands, of landscape plants across the country. Mulch should never be piled against the shrub stem or tree trunk. Not only does this act as an insect or disease entry into the plant, but it also suffocates the trunk and root system that needs oxygen. This explains why approximately 90 percent of the tree roots are in the top 12 to 18 inches of soil.

Landscape contractors can be good mulch salesmen. Some make a big profit on this process and keep piling the mulch higher and higher, creating serious problems. As I stated, may of these problems result in the plants actually dying.

Contractors should be able to see a root flare - the portion of the tree that goes from horizontal to vertical - on every tree. This is so basic, but so important to save the lives of many trees.

Keep up the good work,