Trees are important components in any garden or yard – they give shade, they are pleasing to the eye, they reduce noise and dust and they serve as home for songbirds. If you are currently planning to start a construction project in your backyard, you surely want to make sure your precious, beautiful trees will not suffer during or after the construction – here are a few tips how to protect them:
- Determining the size of the root – tree roots, especially if they belong to large, old trees, can extend for yards beyond the longest branch. Root damage is among the major causes of tree death, so the best way to protect your tree during the excavation is to call a tree specialist who will calculate the size of the root based on tree’s age and the species.
- Markings – you will have to mark the root perimeter with bright-colored tape to tell the excavation technician where not to dig.
- Prepare the trees – try to make sure your trees are as healthy as they can be before the digging and the construction starts. Prune the branches that are dead or show signs of an illness and fertilize the soil regularly for a while before the construction commences.
- Apply a thick layer of wood chips in the root area to prevent the soil from getting too compacted during the construction.
As in any construction project involving digging, call public safety utility location services first before you start to make sure you do not dig into buried electrical or plumbing wires or pipes.