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Soil & Root Health – Get Your Soil & Roots Fixed Before Winter

Resources: Seasonal Tree Care, Tree Maintenance

Root Health

80% of urban tree decline is a result of bad soil & root health. This means that when you see a struggling tree it’s a good bet that it’s looking that way because it’s suffering from root and soil mismanagement.

It’s typical for homeowners to focus on the health of a tree’s leaves and forget about the roots because they’re underground, but roots are easily the most important part of a tree when it comes to overall health. When you have bad soil and bad root health the symptoms won’t be isolated to your tree’s roots instead they will be widespread through the whole tree especially the canopy.

Symptoms of Bad Soil & Root Health:

  • Deadwood
  • Dying Limbs
  • Yellowing Leaves
  • Small Leaves
  • Crown decline
  • Early Leaf-Drop
  • Early Color Change
  • Mushrooms Around The Base Of The Tree
  • Borer Infestations
  • Overall Health Decline
  • Poor Growth

I Need Help With Soil & Root Health

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Or Call 703.573.3029


What Causes Bad Soil & Root Health?

root health 3Bad soil & root health is typically caused by compaction, lack of nutrients, and too much moisture/too little moisture.

Compaction: In most urban and suburban areas the soils are very compacted, typically due to construction or frequent foot traffic, which is why soil management is so important. For example in forests, the top 6 inches of soil is 50% oxygen. However; the average urban soil is only 10% oxygen. This lack of oxygen and pore space doesn’t allow enough water, oxygen, or nutrients to reach the tree’s roots. This can create problems for root growth and the health of the tree overall.

Lack Of Nutrients: Trees are living organisms and require nutrients to grow and survive. Trees in the forest have an abundance of nutrients because of the delicate forest environment that has evolved over millions of years. The trees in our yards; however, are a whole other story.  As we rake away leaves, twigs, and fallen bark we remove nutrients that would have naturally decomposed and entered the soil, feeding the tree.

Too Much Moisture/Too Little Moisture: Water is essential to the health of trees. But just like all the other aspects of soil management, it is important to find a balance.

Symptoms Of Too Little Moisture

Symptoms Of Too Much Moisture

  • Compaction
  • Drought Stress
  • Wilting of Leaves
  • Yellowing/Browning of Leaves
  • Thinning of Canopy
  • Fungal Issues (Fungi love over moist soils)
  • Low Oxygen Levels
  • Defoliation
  • Droopy Foliage
  • Branch & Root Dieback
  • Chlorosis (Yellowing of Leaves)

Soil & Root Health Solutions:

Root Health 2
Vertical Mulching

You can combat these soil & root issues through Aeration, Vertical Mulching, Bio-Stimulants, and Proper Mulching. An arborist will be able to advise which tactics are the best for your specific soil and root health problem.

Aeration & Vertical Mulching: To combat compaction we use high-velocity air tools and techniques to properly aerate the tree’s critical root zone (CRZ) loosening/de-compacting the soil. This creates macro and micropore space (space underground), making room for root growth and space for old roots to breathe.

If your tree is suffering from nutrient deficiencies as well as compaction, our arborists may recommend Vertical Mulching as a form of soil management. This process is similar to Aeration but goes one step further. Vertical mulching uses the same high-velocity air tool, as Aeration/de-compaction does, but the technician creates holes every 2 to 3 inches in the critical root zone. These holes are then filled with organic matter which permeates improves the overall composition.

Bio-Stimulant: Bio-stimulants are one of the best things you can do to stimulate root growth and make your tree’s leaves greener. This organic mixture contains a natural blend of sugars, bacteria, humic acid, sea kelp extract, and good fungi. This mix is great for soil management because it naturally fertilizes the tree without throwing off the balance of the soil. By introducing this blend to the critical root zone it will re-establish good soil composition and act as a multi-vitamin for your tree.

Root Health 1
Beginning Of A Root Collar Excavation

Root Collar Excavation: When trees are showing signs of possible girdling roots, our Arborist will most likely recommend a root collar excavation. In this process, we will use high-velocity air tools to blow away the soil and expose the roots. This then allows the Arborist to diagnose the tree’s root issues and describe what management is needed.

Mulching: Once your tree’s soil and roots are all healthy you can focus on preventing the same issues from arising again in the future. One of the best ways to do this is through proper mulching. Mulching will help insulate the soil providing a buffer from extreme temperatures, prevent soil compaction, accumulate & keep more nutrients in the soil, and retains water keeping the roots moist during hot weather.

Make sure you give your tree the best chance to flourish this Spring by fixing your soil and root health now in the Fall. Call us at 703.573.3029 to meet with an Arborists or book an appointment online.

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Google Reviews

Grey Burkhart
Grey Burkhart
March 29, 2022.
Verified
Very professional review of our requirements and an accurate estimate. Showed up on time and were finished quickly. Cleaned up all of the debris and sawdust. Great job all around.
Dennis Bruns
Dennis Bruns
March 8, 2022.
Verified
We have used RTEC Treecare for several years. They do excellent work. Their staff is extremely knowledgeable and take great care in explaining the various options available for your particular situation. I highly recommend them.
Annette Iannucci
Annette Iannucci
February 23, 2022.
Verified
We have been using RTEC for years and were very pleased with the recent tree maintenance work they did for us. As always, we got good advice from their arborist Ben,. The crew that did the work is highly skilled, and they did a great job trimming our trees. They worked safely and efficiently, in addition to leaving the yard clean after they finished the work.
Susan Crawford
Susan Crawford
January 26, 2022.
Verified
RTEC was at my house today to removed a large Magnolia that was badly damaged by the recent snow. They did a fantastic job at a very reasonable price. They arrived right on time, worked efficiently and quickly and cleaned up so well it was hard to tell anything have been disturbed. Over the past several years, I have used RTEC for all the services I checked above, and have always been very pleased with their service and professionalism. I also appreciate that they are not eager to take down trees that don't need to come down. In this case, the damage was too extensive for the tree to recover.
Kenton Morgan
Kenton Morgan
January 20, 2022.
Verified
Once again, RTEC has done a great job. The team showed up right on time and performed all the work that we agreed to. They kept us informed as to progress, coordinated with us concerning our maple, and made recommendations concerning ongoing support for our trees. At the end of the day, they thoroughly cleaned up the debris and left our yard in pristine condition. WELL DONE.
Jean Kluttz
Jean Kluttz
January 3, 2022.
Verified
Not our first time but this time was tricky removal of a large dead tree leaning on a healthy tree. Quick response for estimate, good timing to removal, all clear and healthy tree still fine.
Jerry Haggin
Jerry Haggin
December 16, 2021.
Verified
Very good work while ensuring that I was aware of status of my work order and planned completion.
Mike Iger
Mike Iger
December 16, 2021.
Verified
David Roberts
David Roberts
December 15, 2021.
Verified
We’ve used RTEC for many years for tree maintenance and can’t say enough good things about their service. We use them for tree trimming and for regular treatments to maintain our trees’ health and deal with pests and prevent disease. Their arborist Ben has been especially helpful with advice. RTEC also been especially helpful in emergency situations, once coming to cable a massive, heritage oak in our yard right before a hurricane was about to hit. Highly recommend.
Travis Larson
Travis Larson
December 10, 2021.
Verified
RTEC did an excellent job onsite of removing dead branches from our 80+ year old trees, and trimming other growth too close to our home.
Google rating score: 4.8 of 5, based on 185 reviews.

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