Root Collar Excavation in Livonia, MI

At Tree Service Livonia, we follow a careful process to safely excavate and inspect the root collar of your trees. Here is an overview of what you can expect when you hire us for root collar excavation services:

Initial Tree Evaluation

• Our ISA-certified arborists will thoroughly assess the trees showing signs of decline. We evaluate the species, age, location, canopy density, and other factors.
• We check for visible signs of root issues like cracked soil, raised turf around the trunk, and poor vigor.
• Tools like a seismograph are used to detect possible stem girdling roots below ground.
• The evaluation informs our approach to minimize harm to the tree during excavation.

Planning the Excavation

• We identify the appropriate size and depth of the excavation needed to properly expose the root collar.
• The excavation area is marked to avoid damaging critical support roots.
• Any turf, mulch, or soil deposits above the root collar are carefully cleared away by hand.
• Appropriate equipment is selected based on the tree species and excavation area parameters.

Excavating the Root Collar

• Using compressed air, water, and specialized tools, we slowly and carefully begin removing soil around the root collar.
• Excavation continues until the root collar tissue is fully exposed. We excavate 2-4 inches below the start of the buttress roots.
• Care is taken to avoid nicking, gouging, or breaking any roots near the excavation area.
• Any girdling roots detected are exposed and removed by making clean cuts back to the larger lateral roots.

Root Collar Inspection and Diagnosis

• With the root collar exposed, our arborists thoroughly inspect it for signs of damage, decay, or disease.
• The presence of stem girdling roots, cankers, and other pathogens is diagnosed and noted.
• Depending on the tree species, we may collect root collar tissue samples for lab analysis.
• The inspection findings help us recommend corrective treatments to restore tree health.

Corrective Treatments

• For girdling roots, we sever the problem roots at their narrowest points and excavate them back to the larger roots.
• Fungicides or bactericides may be applied to canker lesions depending on the lab diagnosis.
• Compost, biochar, or other beneficial amendments are incorporated back into the excavation area before replacing the soil.
• Drainage improvements, aeration, or root invigoration may also be recommended as part of the corrective treatment plan.

Backfilling and Finishing Touches

• New clean topsoil is brought in and compacted in layers around the exposed roots with care to eliminate air pockets.
• The backfilled soil is topped with an organic mulch layer to retain moisture and discourage weeds.
• Grapevine trunk protection is installed around the exposed root collar to avoid damage from mowers and string trimmers.
• The restored excavation area will be monitored over the following weeks to ensure the tree is recovering well.

When performed correctly by trained professionals like our team at Tree Service Livonia, root collar excavation can add decades of healthy life to struggling mature trees.

We take the time to properly diagnose and treat root collar issues, giving your trees their best chance at recovery.