Posts Tagged ‘air-spade’

Base Investigation and Clearing Root Flares Using the Air-spade_®

The Air-Spade is a handheld soil excavation tool connected to a large air-compressor. The high pressure stream of air is funneled through a small nozzle breaking dense soils apart into small particles. By using air to excavate soil, delicate roots, underground pipes, and hard surfaces are not damaged. Arborists can recommend using the Air-Spade for many reasons.

Air-Spade Uses

• Expose root flares of trees planted too deep
• Expose root flares of trees covered with fill dirt
• Expose root flares and root structure 6” to 18” below grade for base investigation
• Expose root flares for Macro-Injections
• Digging trenches without cutting roots or concrete

The root flare or root collar is the area where a tree begins to flare outward at ground level. This is a critical part of the tree where trunk tissue changes into root tissue. If this area is covered with soil and kept moist for extended periods of time, the tissue begins to breakdown. This leaves the tree vulnerable to root decay and ultimately poor health and vigor.

Base investigation is needed when an Arborist suspects deterioration of root tissue. Since roots can not be seen above the surface, the only way to confirm this suspicion is to excavate the soil and inspect the root structure.

Clearing root flares for Macro-Injections is another common use for the Air-Spade. Macro-Injection is an application method used to apply chemicals such as Alamo for Oak Wilt management. Soil and debris are removed quickly and easily without damage.

EXPECTATIONS OF AIR-SPADE WORK

1. Preparing the Soil Water the soil area around the tree one or two days prior to the Air-Spade work being done. This will soften the soil and expedite the process.
2. Clearing the Work Area The work area around the tree will need to be prepared. Prior to the movement of soil, we will remove any grass, ivy, shrubs, or flowers from around the base of the tree. This work area is typically one to two feet from the base of the tree. We do not preserve the vegetation in most cases and request you salvage any plant material you want to keep. We do not replace the vegetation removed.
3. Noisy Process Due to the high pressure air being used and the compressor needed, the process can be quite noisy.
4. Backfilling the Excavated Area When excavating a root flare the void created can sometimes be quite deep. If the area can not be left open, it can be filled with coarse mulch. When the area exposed is greater than eight inches deep, medium to large stone can be used backfill the area insuring greater air circulation around the base.

We repeat over and over each season that the drought continues with the typical, unabated dry conditions. Our extended, severe drought that has been with us for the past several years has caused deep stress conditions for our trees and has killed many during the hot seasons. We have had a few hot periods this past summer but also a few breaks with lower than normal temperatures and even some good rainfall. The periodic relief may be too widespread for already drought stressed trees. Please contact us today to set up a Comprehensive Tree Management Program before the cumulative stress becomes too great for your trees.

An Arborilogical™ Certified Arborist can evaluate a tree’s condition well before it shows signs of stress to the untrained eye and recommend a systematic plan of treatment to get it healthy and keep it healthy. This can be accomplished at any time of the year. So now is a very good time for tree Inspection and Evaluation by a Certified Arborist. Managed Fertilization by professionals is one of the processes that may be recommended. Deep Root Fertilization is a process where a high quality nutrient solution is injected into the root zone of trees. The materials are injected into the root zone under pressure which helps aerate or provide much needed oxygen to the root system. The soil injection begins just below the surface and goes to a depth of 10-12 inches. Soil injection sites are placed about 2 or 3 feet apart in a grid pattern throughout the canopy area out to the drip line. This type of service is best left to the experts. Misapplication of fertilizer can kill your trees. Prior to this process the tree root tissue may need analysis. This analysis is facilitated by exposing the tree/root interface with an Air-spade tool. Our skilled, degreed Arborists can fully explain the process and answer any concerns that may exist.

An extended drought is extremely hard on already stressed trees and could provide easy prey for plant pathogens and insect pests. Broken limbs from wind damage can open wounds in trees that allow entrance for infection, disease and insects.

A thorough inspection of your trees for pests, diseases or damage is recommended in any season of the year  Trees that have been severely stressed by drought and thus in a weakened condition, are prime targets for pathogens and harmful insect damage. Serious damage and even tissue death can result from disease or insect infestations. To help rid your trees of pests our trained staff of professional arborists teamed with our degreed pathologists can design a treatment program to effectively extend the life of your trees by eliminating pests and rehabilitating diseased tissues. These determinations are all part of active and comprehensive Maintenance/Inspection Programs that are routinely carried out by our degreed Certified Arborists trained on the trees of our region, their diseases and their pests. Pesticides or fungicides applied at the wrong time of day or at the wrong temperature can either damage or kill your tree. Again It’s best to leave these critical-care processes to the professionals at Arborilogical^TM Services.

Before a tree is fully leafed out, many of the branches are exposed as well as the tree structure, so potential damage from our region’s storms, high winds, hail or lightning and even the past winter’s heavy snow can be visible. Many trees could be hiding severely damaged or broken limbs, split trunks not visible well up above the level of normal normal line-of-sight. Arborilogical’s^TM Trained arborists will know the best way to remove broken branches or broken/hazard tree limbs with a minimum of harm to your tree and the surrounding environment. You should never attempt to remove branches from trees that span multiple properties or exceed your height or reach. Falling from trees while pruning dead or broken tree branches can lead to serious injury or even death. Our Arborist and tree crews are expert tree climbers and have all the necessary safety gear to keep your trees properly trimmed and themselves safe and injury-free. They will remove the hazard branches from your trees safely and quickly with no injury to you, your property or your neighbor’s property. They are fully insured for your protection. Our crews can remove fallen branches, storm debris and entire downed trees from your property safely.