The Hidden Threat Beneath: How Buried Tree Bases Are Silently Strangling Suffolk County’s Most Valuable Trees
Across Suffolk County’s neighborhoods, mature trees that have graced properties for decades are quietly dying from an invisible killer lurking just beneath the soil surface. The problem with a buried root collar is that the mulch or soil causes the trunk to stay moist and damages its cells. This condition, known as root collar burial, is slowly suffocating them and causing irreversible damage to some of Long Island’s most cherished landscape features.
What Is Root Collar Excavation and Why Does It Matter?
The root collar of a tree can be defined as an area of the lower trunk that transitions from trunk tissue to root tissue. It is typically associated with the basal flare, or the trunk flare of the tree, which is the wider portion of trunk that insects the ground. When this critical area becomes buried under soil, mulch, or debris, it creates a cascade of problems that can ultimately kill even the healthiest mature trees.
Root-collar excavation involves the careful removal of soil and organic matter from the root collar, the area where the trunk meets the root system. This process can reveal hidden problems, such as decay, girdling roots or buried flare roots, which can negatively impact tree health and stability.
The Silent Epidemic in Suffolk County
Suffolk County’s mature trees face unique challenges that make root collar burial particularly problematic. Your Suffolk County property faces particular challenges that put your trees at risk. Atlantic storms bring heavy winds and salt spray that can weaken even mature trees, while the region’s diverse tree species each have specific care requirements that general landscapers often miss.
The most telling sign of a buried root collar is deceptively simple: The most obvious sign is simply not being able to see the root flare. If your tree looks like a telephone pole stuck in the ground with no visible flare or expansion at the base, it’s likely buried too deeply. A seasoned arborist I used to work with referred to those trees as, “telephone poles” since the base of the tree looks very much like a telephone pole, with little or no flare at the ground level. If your tree looks like a telephone pole going into the ground, the root collar has been buried for one reason or another.
How Trees Become Buried and Why It’s Deadly
Root collar burial happens through several common scenarios. The single most common cause of buried root collars is improper planting depth. Many trees arrive from nurseries already planted too deeply in their containers or burlap balls. When homeowners or even some landscapers maintain this incorrect depth during transplanting, they’re setting the tree up for long-term problems.
Another major culprit is the infamous “mulch volcano.” A tree might have been planted correctly but an improper mulching service is performed in which the mulch is piled against the trunk. This is called a “mulch volcano” and it is an improper practice (even though some landscapers still do it).
The consequences are severe and often irreversible. But when mulch or dirt is piled around the base of a trunk (this area is called the root collar), it stays moist thereby suffocating cells due to water saturation. This harms the cells of the trunk. As the cells become damaged, they are not able to perform their duties, which include gas exchange and moving food through the plant, just to name a few.
The Girdling Root Problem
One of the most dangerous consequences of buried root collars is the development of girdling roots. The presence of soil against the trunk can also lead to root growth that contacts buried trunk tissue. While roots can successfully grow together, root and trunk tissue cannot. The result is a “girdling root” that restricts trunk growth and strangles the tree over time. In some cases, I have found girdling roots that encircle the trunk entirely, which leads to the slow decline and premature death of the tree.
As the roots encircle the trunk, the begin girdling it. The girdling action literally strangles the tree and deprives roots and canopy of necessary resources. This creates a vicious cycle where the weakened tree becomes more susceptible to other threats.
The Professional Solution: Air Spade Technology
Fortunately, there’s hope for Suffolk County’s buried trees through professional root collar excavation. The key to successful excavation lies in using the right tools and techniques. This is why the best practice involves using an air spade, which is powered by compressed air. With an air spade, there’s no risk of accidentally hitting the root collar, as there would be with digging tools.
Use of an AirSpade allows tree root collars and girdling roots to be excavated with minimal damage to the tree. Once uncovered, a certified arborist can easily identify roots that need to be removed or trained. For Suffolk County property owners seeking this specialized service, professional Air Spade Services in Suffolk County, NY provide the precision and expertise needed to safely expose buried root collars without damaging the tree’s critical root system.
Why Professional Expertise Matters
Properly excavating a root collar is a delicate process. If you do not have experience with this procedure, we recommend hiring an experienced professional rather than attempting to do it yourself. The process requires not only specialized equipment but also the knowledge to identify which roots need removal and which can be preserved.
Companies like Jones Tree & Plant Care understand the unique challenges facing Suffolk County trees. As a licensed arborist, Jones is committed to offering scientifically based landscape management and delivering quality services. Jones Tree and Plant Care will inspect your landscape, diagnose any problems, and make recommendations based on knowledge and expertise gained through over 10 years of experience in the industry.
The Recovery Process and Long-term Benefits
The good news is that Trees that have been buried for years can be rehabilitated. The shorter the amount of time between burying and rehabilitation the better of course. Professional root collar excavation often provides dramatic results. Many times, the simple excavation of soil around the trunk can relive much of the stress on the plant resulting in improved health going forward.
Root collar excavation is one of the most effective ways to address hidden stress before it turns into major decline. It is safe, precise, and can extend the life of a tree by years.
Taking Action to Save Your Trees
For Suffolk County homeowners, the time to act is now. These symptoms often appear gradually over several seasons, making them easy to miss until significant damage has occurred. Early intervention with minor corrections is much easier than addressing deeply buried collars years later.
If you notice your mature trees lack visible root flares, show signs of decline, or have been subjected to improper mulching practices, don’t wait. Professional assessment and root collar excavation could be the difference between losing a valuable mature tree and enjoying its beauty and benefits for decades to come. With the specialized knowledge and equipment available through certified arborists in Suffolk County, even trees that have been struggling for years can often be saved and restored to health.