The problem with having healthy trees and shrubs in most residential environments is the environment. Most trees and shrubs prefer to live in the forest, where they can live for many decades without any assistance at all, thank you very much.

Residential environments, on the other hand, make it hard for trees and shrubs to survive for a number of reasons:

• Inappropriate soil structure

• Wrong amount of water, poor drainage

• Wrong amount of sunlight

• Damage from mowing and trimming equipment

• Compacted soils

• Toxicity from products applied to turf, i.e. Turf vs. Trees.

Trees and shrubs can do very well in urban environments and not even require much supporting maintenance if the location can be as similar to the forest as possible. It does not require other trees. It requires the right soil and protection of the root zone.

Things That Trees & Shrubs Hate:

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Heavy objects driving over their roots, particularly close to the trunk. Root zones can extend out 2-3 times larger than the crown, the leafy diameter of the tree.

Lawn sprinklers that are constantly making the lower trunk and root flare wet.

Transplanting too low.

Regrading that buries the root flare and part of the trunk. Death may result.

Herbicides

Bark injury due to string trimmers or lawn mowers

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Permanently tying wires around trees that limits the flow of nutrients as they grow.

Leaving certain types of baskets, cages and balling products on when transplanting.

Killing off the microbes in the soil.

Compacted soil.

Too much compost piled up around the truck.

Digging in the root zone, particularly close to the trunk. Cutting off or damaging a large support root may be equivalent to removing an arm or leg from a human being.

Excessive pruning - no more than 1/3 of the crown.

How do you “re-create” the forest?

You begin with a comprehensive soil test (not an ag test), similar to the test offered by Prescription Soil Analysis, that looks at 19 different data-points. The Recommendations provide an easy-to-follow program of restoration. Nature’s Pro has a range of products available; liquids, granulars and biologicals, that support optimization of plant health using ingredients that are especially supportive of trees and shrubs.

Call us for more information. We are happy to help.