How To Protect Your Trees From Construction Damage

Nearby construction is one of the things that can cause extreme damage to a tree. Therefore, whether you are constructing a garage or expanding your house, you need to take precautions to preserve the life of your garden trees. Use these measures to ensure the construction doesn't damage your greenery:

Restrict Traffic around the Trees

Trees need well-aerated soils to get adequate water and soil. The weight of pedestrians (such as construction workers) and construction equipment (such as excavators) can compact the soil beneath your trees and deny them soil and water. Stress from compacted soils can lead to root dieback, branch dieback, stunted growth, and many other negative effects.

Prevent this problem by keeping traffic away from your trees. Do this by warning the workers and erecting barriers around the trees. It is easier and cost effective to erect barriers for a group of trees rather than protect them individually.

Make Clean Cuts to Roots

Despite your best efforts at planning, you may have to cut through some tree roots during your construction. For example, when digging trenches, you may encounter roots far from where you thought they ended. If this happens, make clean cuts to the roots instead of rugged or rough ones.

Clean cuts promote fast healing, which limits the exposure time disease-causing organisms have to infect the root. Clean cuts also promote regeneration of new roots. Rugged cuts, on the other hand, easily decay, and the decay can spread from the roots to the main stem after some time.

Trim Tree Professionally

Sometimes, you have to trim trees when they grow too close to your new building. For example, branches overhanging your gutters may clog it and eventually cause roof damage. Maybe you want to install a solar panel, and the sun facing side of the roof is shaded by overhanging tree branches.

Whatever your reason for trimming some of the branches, have it done professionally. Having your builders cut away the branches may not be a wise thing to do since they may not have the right tools or skills for the job. For example, there is an appropriate distance for cutting a branch; cutting it too close removes the branch collar, which contains the tree's first line of defense against disease-causing microorganisms.

In short, trust your building constructor with the responsibility of caring for your trees during the construction period. Even if the constructor means well, they may lack the necessary knowledge for preventing tree damage. Take charge by consulting a tree care professional to help you save the trees.

For more information, contact a professional in your area or visit a website like http://nwresidentialarborist.com/.