Ask An Arborists | Root Flare Exposure and Air Spading Explained

It might be hard to believe looking around your neighborhood, but did you know trees shouldn’t look like telephone poles coming straight out of the ground? The practice of burying root flares of trees has become an epidemic of tree malpractice in urban landscaping, and causes significant health issues for trees.

The all-important root flare of a tree is the foot or anchor of the tree. It should be exposed so that the tapered part of the trunk that meets the ground is visible and exposed to air. The root flare is composed of the buttress roots of the tree. When a tree looks like a telephone pole coming out of the ground, the buttress roots of the root flare are buried which invites several serious problems to develop over time.

Stress factors created by a buried root flare:

Fungal wood decay:
Mounding mulch or soil at the base of a tree invites the development of fungal wood decay from the constant moisture held on the bark of the buttress roots. Fungal wood decay can compromise the vascular system while also slowly compromising the structural stability of the tree.

Girdling roots:
The constant moisture held on the bark from the mounding of soil or mulch at the base of the tree causes dormant buds to emerge from the bark of the buttress roots. These roots are irregular and do not belong there. As they emerge, girdling roots will grow parallel to the trunk and grow over the buttress roots of the tree. These girdling roots start out as small fibrous roots but quickly grow in length and girth. Girdling roots become restrictive in nature, choking on the vascular system of the tree while also causing severe abrasion on top of the buttress roots which can lead to fungal wood decay. These roots can also graft into the buttress roots over time. Best to remediate this issue before grafting between the buttress roots and girdling roots occurs.

Root issues need to be exposed and corrected by professional arborists to prevent long-term health decline and, ultimately, tree mortality. Give us a call at 469-702-8606 or request a quote online https://southernbotanical.com/request... if we can be of assistance in remediating your tree health issues.