What is Radial Trenching?
Radial trenching in arborculture, means to dig trenches which start at the trunk of a tree and radiate out.
What is the purpose of Radial Trenching?
Radial trenching is a valuable means of improving the health of trees in the artificial landscapes which surround homes and offices. The soil surrounding the roots of a tree is allowed to breathe because of the radial trenches. This helps nutrients to more easily be absorbed into the root system. Also, soil compaction (which can weaken and even kill an otherwise healthy tree) is also relieved by radial trenching.
How is Radial Trenching performed?
Radial trenching is performed with a pneumatic shovel, sometimes called an air spade. This allows us to penetrate even the most impacted soil without damaging the delicate root system of a tree. Rather than using a conventional shovel made from metal, we are using air to dig the trenches.
Are there other services that should be performed with radial trenching?
Yes, there are at least two other services that can and should be performed at the same time. The first is root collar excavation, also performed with an air spade. This is to remove the dirt from around the base of the tree. The basin this creates helps to prevent excess moisture from accumulating. This can prevent or abate fungi and root rot. The second is soil augmentation. This means to add extra dirt, often with specific nutrient content, around the tree on top of the radial trenches. The trenching allows for the new soil to become incorporated into the root system and thus for nutrients to reach the tree as quickly as possible. Thirdly, it may be very helpful to follow radial trenching with a deep root fertilization.
If you would like to maximize the health and beauty of your trees, call us today to discuss radial trenching and other ways that we can support their growth.
We are able to provide service to San Francisco (SF) Bay Area and the Peninsula including: Atherton, Belmont, Campbell, Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Gatos, Loyola, Menlo Park, Milpitas, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Portola Valley, Redwood City, San Carlos, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Saratoga, Sunnyvale, Willow Glen, Woodside.
