If you have trees in your garden, the process of landscaping is likely to involve the excavation of the earth surrounding the trees. At Blue Iris Landscapes, we know the importance of being mindful of our approach when excavating around trees, as this has the potential to cause significant damage to them, or perhaps even kill them. Therefore, we take several aspects into consideration before undertaking the work.
Typically, the root zone area of a tree has a radius of 12 x the diameter of the trunk. If you are working within the root zone area, you are required to arrange for a tree survey to be completed by a qualified arboriculturist. The arboriculturist would then write up a report recommending the best route to proceed.
What is the best way to Excavate around trees?
The correct site preparation, tree protection measures and safety procedures are vital to the success of any project when excavating soil within the root zone area. To ensure that we achieve this, Blue Iris Landscapes work closely with our sister company, ProHort, which specialises in horticultural and arboricultural services. With over 20 years’ experience of supporting land development projects, ProHort work closely with our team to conduct a survey of the trees and local area. They then produce a detailed report and method statement, to the British Standard 5837:2012, which includes recommendations for the approach to be taken.
One recommended way to safely excavate in the root zone area is by using an air-spade. An air spade is a professional piece of equipment which uses a high-speed jet of air to migrate soil, ensuring that even the more fragile roots are left undamaged.
When Excavating Around Trees, how Deep do you need to Dig?
It is very rare that a tree’s roots go any deeper than 1 metre into the ground. Therefore, this makes it very possible to dig underneath a tree and excavate it entirely. However, at Blue Iris Landscapes, we will always use caution when digging around or under a tree, as there may still be roots found further than 1 metre down, on rare occasions. Therefore, cameras can be used to identify how far the roots go down. In the case of a tree’s roots having significant depth, we will avoid digging within this area or dig around the tree.
Excavating soil to assist the maintenance of the tree:
In addition to ensuring the safe removal of soil around the tree roots in preparation for landscaping, an air spade can also be used to enable:
Inspection of the roots
Pruning of the roots.
Soil improvement to increase tree health.
Corrections to root structure of a tree. Common issues related to the root structure of the tree including girdling roots, which is caused by trees that are planted too low, that have settled or that have soil build up at the base. These issues can limit tree growth and health. If you are looking to carry out some landscaping near the trees on your property or would like further advice regarding the maintenance benefits of digging around or underneath your trees, please get in touch with our professional team.
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